Chuck vs the Master Thief
by Costas TT
Summary: Chuck is Special Agent Carmichael, having been recruited by the CIA in Stanford. He and his buddies and partners Bryce and Morgan are in Rome, seeking to enlist the services of an outsider as a consultant on an important case. Hilarity and romance ensue.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello again, everyone! Guess what, I'm back. I missed you guys already.

A couple of things about this story: It was the one that lost the draw to the Other Super Spy, which got published first, but I decided to give this one a chance as well. Like the previous story, it hinges on Chuck having been recruited by the CIA back in Stanford and ending up partnered with his buddy Bryce, but other character background elements are different. As for the plot, you may recognize elements borrowed from a few movies which I thoroughly enjoy every time I watch them.

Naturally, all the standard disclaimers apply to this story. If you find any mistakes, rest assured that they're all mine and mine only. No betas were harmed. Also, I'll try to update at least once a week.

Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chuck vs the Master Thief <strong>

**Chapter 1**

The EUR business district in Rome was practically deserted, as it was the middle of the night. This suited certain people just fine. One of them, clad in black, was currently on the roof of an office building, which was home to many businesses. The late night visitor, however, was only interested in one of them. Security was good throughout the building, with alarms and regular patrols by rent-a-cops. Still, it was not 100% airtight.

Moving quietly and purposefully, the person on the roof rigged a strange looking contraption with a winch and secured it to a couple of structural strong points directly above the machine room for the elevators. At any given night, one of those would be reserved for use by the patrolling security guards and anyone who had to work late, the others being deactivated. As a security arrangement, it had a serious flaw: the shafts of the immobilized elevators were a ready made access point to any floor in the building. All someone had to do was figure out which elevator was active and choose one of the other shafts. As there were no security measures, not even token ones, for the machine room, it was a simple matter for a thief, and the person on the roof was a thief, to enter it and use a descender to go anywhere inside the building.

The thief clipped a controlled descent device to a cable and smoothly dropped down the shaft, going down and stopping just above the twelfth floor. Now came the trickiest part. At night the hallway was under surveillance by security cameras augmented by motion detectors. The only sound was the thief's breathing, muffled by a balaclava mask, and the whirr of an electric screwdriver. The grille covering the end of a ventilation duct came loose. It was then hung with a length of cord from a convenient beam. The thief's slim but voluptuous figure, for she was a woman, lithely wiggled into the duct and followed it, taking bearings from a GPS device. It soon vibrated to indicate that a preset waypoint was reached.

Voices were heard through the nearest grille. Two security guards happened to be patrolling and were in the hallway. The thief paused, not making even the slightest noise, waiting for them to move on. When they did, the thief resumed crawling inside the claustrophobically narrow ventilation duct, pushing a bag full of certain custom-made items of equipment ahead of her. Upon reaching the destination as indicated by the GPS, she used a borescope to survey the interior of the target office. As expected, nobody was there, given the late hour.

She disabled the alarm, lowered herself down on the floor and only paused for a second to admire the view through the manager's window before moving to the safe. It was top of the line, but easy for her to crack, as she had practiced on an identical safe. The desired item was inside, as she knew it would be. She took it, stuffed it in a pouch, replaced it with a perfect replica and went back inside the ventilation duct, taking care to leave everything the way it was before she went in.

She went out the same way she came in, using the remotely controlled winch to speed her ascent to the roof. Then, she used a zip line to a neighboring building, which was being renovated. Reaching the street, she walked a little further, staying in the shadows, until she got to where she had concealed a motorcycle. Mounting it, she sped off.

Across the street from the building the thief had worked in, two men looked up from their telescopes, glanced at each other and smiled.

"What do you think, Chuck?"

"Based on what we saw just now, she's just what the doctor ordered for our current mission, Bryce."

"I concur. If anyone can do it, she can. So, it's time to follow the plan. Who's gonna make the call?"

"You do it. You can fake your Italian better than I can."

"Just say when."

"We still have a little time," the man called Chuck said, scooping up the last slice of pizza from his box and taking a big bite. "Pack everything up and let's go."

The two men packed their telescopes, high resolution video camera and other equipment in their carrying cases and left the building. They then drove to a residential part of town and parked outside a small hotel.

"Now's the time," Chuck reminded his friend.

"Dude, are you sure about it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Shouldn't we handle it ourselves?"

"Let's just say I want to see if she can get herself out of a fix and, besides, an added incentive to be cooperative won't hurt."

"You're devious, man."

"I have but you to blame for that, buddy."

"Just in case you forgot, I tried to talk you out of it. You were the one who wanted in."

"Bryce, I needed something exciting to take my mind off my breakup with Hannah, even though neither one of us was to blame for it. And we still ended up partners, just like I told you we would, back then."

"So you don't regret that you made Charles Carmichael change careers. You know, the fictional millionaire playboy version of you, who wanted to join America's Cup."

"Hell no. You know perfectly well that I still do some work for Dad's company on the side."

"What the hell, so do I," Bryce confessed.

"You work for my Dad, too?"

"He never told you?"

"No. What exactly do you do?"

"I handle the occasional e-banking aspects of export deals. Our travels in Europe are made to order for that."

"Dad is a smart man."

"Plus, it's a nice and easy way to augment our meager government salaries."

"Just make the call, will you?"

"Okie-dokie." Bryce pulled a prepaid cell phone from a pocket and walked down the street to get a stronger signal. He rejoined his friend when the call was over. "Done," he said simply.

"Let's go." They entered the hotel and went to a room on the third floor. Bryce stood guard while Chuck picked the lock. It was child's play for him and soon the door swung open. "After you, my friend."

"Why, thank you."

"Now all we gotta do is wait."

"You seem pretty confident that she'll make it here."

"She's pretty capable, which you'd know had you bothered to study her file in detail. If I'm right, she'll be coming through that door in an hour, tops."

"Are you willing to bet on it?"

"Sure."

"Standard wager?"

"Of course."

"Plus we have her other place under surveillance. This way we'll know about everything going on over there."

"Now that you mention it, let's check." Chuck pulled his phone out again and dialed a number. "Hey little buddy… You're in position… She came in… OK, great. Just call when the local law decides to show up. And don't forget to tell us what'll happen afterwards." He hung up. "Morgan is in position and waiting."

"You know she's gonna be seriously pissed, right Chuck?"

"Can't help it, buddy. This little bit of dirty trickery on our part is essential in securing her cooperation. I mean, she wouldn't take the job if we just approached her and made an offer."

"True. But tonight she'll be desperate enough to listen to us – I hope."

"Might as well get comfortable while we wait," Chuck said, sitting down and checking his Walther P99. Bryce also checked his gun.

"Still, I think winning the bet will be like taking candy from a baby."

"You're too pessimistic, Bryce. Remember, if you win the bet we'll have failed."

"We still have Plan B."

"I'd prefer it wouldn't come to that."

"Damn, you're right. I can't believe I want to lose a bet to you."

"There's a first time for everything."

-o-

The woman the two friends were talking about entered the room she had booked under an assumed name and dumped her bag by the bed. As this particular room was her forward base of operations, she was especially careful not to leave any evidence behind every time she used it. Right now, she needed a shower. She went into the bathroom and removed her wig before undressing, turning the water on and getting under the soothing spray.

Ten minutes later she finished her shower and, feeling refreshed, wrapped a towel around her body and went back inside the main room. She gasped when she saw three men in there. One of them was in street clothes, while the other two wore police uniforms.

"What are ya doin' in mah room?" She asked the question in a Texas drawl.

"I apologize for the apparently inappropriate time," the man in civvies said in accented English. "But we need to talk."

"Yeah? 'Bout what?"

"We got an anonymous call, claiming you had something to do with certain incidents we are investigating. And it looks like our source was right," he said, showing the blonde woman one of the things she'd stolen that very night. "You are under arrest, miss."

"Do ya gents mind if I get dressed first?"

"By all means, take your time."

She sat down in a chair and slowly pulled on a pair of panties under the towel. All three men were staring wide-eyed at her. She was a beautiful woman and they were all red-blooded men. "Could ya please hand me mah bra?"

The senior officer drew his Beretta and used it to snag a bra from her bag, handing it to her.

_Now or never_, she thought, lashing out and kicking both gun and bra out of the man's hand, sending them flying towards the ceiling. With lightning speed, she whipped the towel off of her body and used it to whack the nearest uniformed cop in the face. She completed the move by landing a roundhouse kick on the last man's head and throwing a knockout punch on the one she'd hit with the towel. Then, she raised her arms, allowing the bra straps to fall neatly in place, also grabbing the gun with her right hand. Before the stunned detective could react, he found his own gun aimed at his family jewels. Not wanting to get them blown off, he froze in place.

"Do me up, please," she said. He did the clasp on her bra with shaking hands and stepped back. She smiled sweetly and pistol-whipped him, knocking him unconscious like his men. "Nice mess I got myself in," she muttered, no longer speaking with a Texas accent.

Right now, she had to sanitize the room and disappear. She used extra strength bleach to remove all traces of her presence in the bathroom, stuffed her things in her bags and hurriedly pulled on a pair of shoes and an overcoat, which she tightly belted at her waist. There was simply no time for anything else. The finishing touch was to stick a high dosage twilight tranq dart into each of the fallen men. She had stolen these not long ago from a US government contractor. They would be out for some time, at least twelve hours, and wouldn't remember the last hour before being injected with the compound, thus would be unable to give a description of her. Using a small mirror, she checked the street from a window. A police car was parked across from the hotel, but there was nobody inside. Its crew was lying at her feet, waiting to be dragged into the spacious closet. The room was paid for until the following day, so she had nothing to worry about. In addition, housekeeping would help make sure any evidence she hadn't managed to eliminate would be contaminated and rendered useless in the morning. Finally, she took the elevator to the lobby, ran out a side exit and sped away on her motorcycle.

-o-

Chuck hung up the phone. "She's on her way here," he informed Bryce.

"Then I lost the bet."

"Damn right you did. Pay up."

"Here you go: one Euro." Bryce flipped a coin to Chuck, who caught it in mid-air.

"Very considerate of you to pay in local currency."

"You got more than a buck, given the exchange rate."

The two men laughed. Their standard bet for anything imaginable was always one dollar, but they were in Europe now. Then they got serious. They had a job to do and had to deal with an unpredictable player. It all hinged on how played their own cards, but they were confident that they held the winning hand.

"Morgan's on the way back, too."

"For an analyst, the little guy is a good substitute agent."

"You mean like a substitute teacher?"

"Yup. I hope he's done some research on restaurants in Zurich."

"He always does before going to a new place."

The roar of a motorcycle engine from the street interrupted the conversation. Chuck moved to the window and peeked from behind the curtain.

"She's here," he said simply.

"And she looks even better without that brunette wig," Bryce remarked casually.

"Yeah, she's a natural blonde," Chuck reminded Bryce. "But if Jill were to hear you…"

"Luckily, she's still in the good ole US of A, working on a vaccine of one kind or another for LaFleur Pharmaceutical."

"Shhh… It's show time."

The blonde felt drained as she made her way to her room. She had booked the room in the other hotel simply because it was closer to her target, but she had never spent the night there during her stay in Rome. She would leave the country first thing in the morning. Her preferred options were to fly out either from France or from Switzerland.

"Things are finally looking up for me again tonight," she muttered, seeing that the marker she'd stuck in the door before leaving was still in its place. She couldn't know that Chuck had seen it while picking the lock and made sure to put it in place again.

She had barely taken two steps inside the room when the light came on and she saw two men sitting comfortably, apparently waiting for her.

"Nice to see you were able to make it, Ms. Walker," one of them said.

TO BE CONTINUED


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:  
><strong>Fortunately, as you can see, it didn't take me a whole week to update. Things were more relaxed at work and this chapter practically wrote itself as well. In addition, I'd like to thank you for the warm welcome you gave this new story. But for now...

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><p><strong>Chapter 2 <strong>

"_Nice to see you were able to make it, Ms. Walker."_

She froze. "What did you just call me?"

"Ms. Walker. That's your name, isn't it? Sarah Walker? I know you are supposed to be Rebecca Franco here, but she doesn't really exist, just like Jennifer Burton, Katie O'Connell, Samantha Walters, Eva Anderson, Elana Truffaut and a few others. All these women are in reality you."

"How…?" To say that she was shocked would be a classic understatement.

"How do I know the name on your birth certificate? It's simple, actually. I work for the US government."

"Am I under arrest?"

"We're not the FBI, Ms. Walker," the second man said. "By the way, are you armed?"

"No," Sarah replied, dropping her bigger bag at her feet and throwing her handbag on the bed. She wasn't about to take off her overcoat to prove that she wasn't packing, as she was wearing nothing but a bra and a pair of panties underneath. She was still trying to process what she had just heard. The two strangers who were skilled enough to break into her room without her realizing it also knew her real name in addition to her various aliases. Sarah evaluated her options. These two men were obviously far more dangerous than the Italian cops. She could conceivably deal with one of them alone, but going up against them both at the same time was tantamount to suicide.

"You must be wondering why we bothered to look you up, since we are not law enforcement officers."

"Then you must be with the CIA," she said. She wasn't sure, but it was the only explanation even remotely close to making some semblance of sense.

The two men looked at each other and smiled. "You're very smart, Ms. Walker. Tell you what… Ms. Walker sounds way too formal. Can I call you Sarah?"

"It doesn't matter, I suppose. What can I call you?"

"My name is Carmichael, Charles Carmichael."

"And I am Bryce," the shorter man said.

"You can call me Chuck."

Before she could reply, there was a knock on the door. "It's open, buddy," Chuck called. The door opened and a short bearded man entered.

"I see we have a full house here. Hi, I'm Morgan."

"I didn't know parents named their kids Chuck or Morgan any more."

"My parents were sadists. As for Morgan, carnival freaks found him in a dumpster."

"But they raised me as one of their own," Morgan piped up, finishing the joke.

The levity was intentional and calculated, especially after Sarah unwittingly gave them an opening with her barb. They wanted to calm her down before making their offer.

"Enough joking around. What do you want from me?"

"We need your help."

"You have a very strange way of asking, Agent Carmichael."

"Did I mention that you'll also be well paid for your services?"

She ignored what he said for a moment. "Not to mention I have a very strong feeling that you were the one who ratted me out to the cops."

"It was a calculated risk. Did it work?"

"I am desperate enough to take you up on your offer, provided it's attractive enough. Otherwise, I'm willing to take my chances alone."

"Sarah, I believe you'll find the financial compensation most attractive. If you agree, you'll get the standard consultant's fee, in cash, plus a bonus if the venture is successful."

"And if I refuse?"

He handed her a manila envelope. Sarah opened it and found several glossy eight by ten photographs inside.

"Yes, they are photos of you casing your latest target. I believe you don't want them leaked."

The three men had her by the short and curlies, as she grudgingly admitted to herself. They also probably had a lot more evidence to prove that she was a thief with an illustrious career in grand larceny. In a US court of law, it meant twenty-five years to life behind bars. It would be a lot less in Italy, but it wasn't a pleasant option in any way. Not to mention that she'd stolen from the mob and other organized crime syndicates on several occasions. This alone would be enough for her not to leave any prison alive.

"You win, Carmichael," she said bitterly. "What do you want me to do?"

Chuck smiled. "As of right now, you're the newest employee of Carmichael Industries. Welcome aboard, Sarah."

"That's it?"

"We'll tell you more tomorrow. Right now, you should get some rest. You must be exhausted after today."

Bryce spoke up. "We'll also have to come up with a plan to get her out of the country. The cops she evaded must have an APB out on her by now, or whatever they call it here."

She glanced pointedly at her watch. "Nah, they're still asleep."

"They're bound to wake up sometime."

"So what? They won't remember a thing." She decided to be honest – for the moment. Chuck and his friends wanted to get her out of the country, which was fine by her. "I gave them something to wipe their short-term memory. Trust me when I say that they won't know what I look like when they wake up."

Chuck put two and two together. "So… it was _you_."

"Me?"

"Don't play coy with me, Sarah. You know what I'm talking about. Hand them over."

Her shoulders slumped in defeat. She reached slowly into a pocket and gave Chuck the box of twilight tranq darts. "Atta girl," he said. Then he rose. "My room is right next door, if you need anything. We'll talk again in the morning over breakfast, say… at ten?"

She nodded.

"Goodnight Sarah. And don't even dream about running."

"I gave you my word, Carmichael," she replied bluntly. "I'll do whatever you need me to do."

"Smart choice."

Morgan and Bryce also wished her goodnight and the three left her alone. Moving mechanically, she undressed, changed into her pajamas and got under the covers. But sleep remained elusive. Who could blame her? In one fell swoop her life was turned upside down. At least she wouldn't be seeing the inside of a courtroom and a prison – if she played her cards right.

Chuck was also awake in his room. His thoughts revolved around his current mission. He needed the services of a… specialized contractor to see it through, but he had certain private reservations about having Sarah help, or anyone for what the matter. It was a potentially dangerous assignment and he was loath to put civilians, no matter what their level of innocence, in harm's way. He prided himself in carrying out his orders with zero collateral damage and he resolved to keep her safe. As long as she was a member of his team, she deserved any protection he could provide her with. As he turned on his side, he heard something from next door. The balcony door was opening. Curious, he threw a jacket on and went outside to investigate. Sarah was out on her own side of the balcony, wrapped in a blanket, looking out at the street below.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"Huh?"

"I can't blame you. What got dumped on you today was pretty big."

She just snorted.

"Yeah, I know," he continued. "It's our fault and I'm trying to comfort you? Weird, I agree. But think about the money you'll make. It should put a smile on your face."

She turned to look at him. "You never did tell me how much."

So he did.

"How much again?" Sarah asked incredulously.

"Do you want me to repeat it?"

"No, I heard you the first time. But it's a lot of money."

"It's the standard fee paid to consultants on important matters. The bonus is nice too, fifty percent of the base fee, plus you get to keep anything you take for yourself."

"Gee, how can I refuse?"

"As an added incentive, I'll give you all proof we have of your illegal activities when the assignment is over."

"I'll hold you to that."

"I always keep my word, Sarah. Always."

"So do I."

He extended his hand over the frosted safety glass partition separating his room's part of the balcony from hers. "Then we have an understanding."

She took his hand in a firm grip. "We do," she confirmed.

"This calls for sort of a celebration." He dug into a pocket of his jacket and produced a small flask, which he offered to her. "To the success of our venture."

Sarah took it, opened it and toasted him. "To success." Then she took a swig of liquor, Jack Daniels Tennessee whiskey, as it turned out. It burned its way down her throat, but she liked it.

Chuck took the flask back and drank a little. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

-o-

At ten o'clock on the dot, Chuck knocked on the door to Sarah's room. She came out fully dressed and ready to face the music.

"Good morning."

"Hi," she returned the greeting.

"The others went to find us a quiet table downstairs. Shall we join them?"

"By all means," she replied. He gentlemanly offered her his arm and she took it, allowing him to lead her to the restaurant downstairs. If any of the hotel staff saw them, they'd simply assume that the dashing Signior Carmichael had scored with the beautiful Signorina Franco, and not give it another thought.

Bryce and Morgan greeted them and gestured for a waiter to come and get their order. To Sarah's surprise, Chuck pulled out a chair for her.

"An old fashioned gentleman… I'm impressed."

"Chuck's always like that," Morgan commented.

They ordered and for a few minutes ate their breakfast in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

"More coffee, Sarah?" Chuck asked.

"Uh, yes please."

He refilled her cup. "I believe it's time to talk about the job."

"What do you want me to do?"

"What you do best, of course: break into a place and retrieve something for us."

"Specifics?"

"You'll receive that information in due time. Right now everything is on a need to know basis," Bryce said.

"Fine by me," she shrugged.

"But we can tell you that we're leaving for Switzerland later today."

"So far so good. At least you're not taking me to some backwater third world country. I also love their chocolates."

"You're not the only one, Sarah. For now, let's talk about your cover."

"I'm listening."

"As I said last night, you'll be posing as an employee of Carmichael Industries. More specifically, you'll be my executive assistant."

"Not your 'girlfriend' or something along those lines?"

"No, I'm very respectful of women. And you're way too smart to play the part of an arm candy bimbo."

"I guess I can pull off the executive assistant routine."

"Judging by the commercial you filmed a while back, in college, you'd make an excellent actress."

"You remember that?"

"I went out and got two messy cheeseburgers right after watching it for the first time. I only realized this morning why you always looked so familiar."

"I'm flattered. Thank you."

"You are welcome. Back to the original subject, do you have a business suit in your luggage?"

"Uh, no. I'm supposed to be here as a tourist. And tourists don't exactly walk around in business suits."

"Well, you're gonna need a couple of them. After we're finished with our breakfast, I'm taking you shopping."

"Shopping?" Sarah echoed.

"You'll get some nice business suits, which will be paid for out of my expense account. It's for the cover."

"Okay. We'll go shopping."

So they did. First they all went to their respective rooms to pack. Then the CIA people reported to their boss on the progress of the assignment so far. Later, Chuck took her to one of the more upscale clothing stores, where they spent about an hour. She modeled a few business suits for him and they ended up purchasing two, one with a skirt and the other with pants.

"Listen," Chuck said as they exited the shop loaded with her purchases. "I know you probably despise me, but I'd like our time working together to be as friction-free as possible."

"For the money you're paying me, I can be the very spirit of cooperation."

"Excellent. Let's go get some coffee. We still have time to kill before flying out."

"Coffee?"

"Consider it another peace offering on my part."

"In that case, sure, why not?"

From his brief time in Rome, Chuck knew a nice quiet little café. He took Sarah there and they sat down at a table by the window. Just like earlier, he gentlemanly pulled a chair out for her to sit.

"Look, Chuck, I know you can't tell me what and where the target is. You have security to consider, but I'd like to know what I'll be up against. I may also need specialized equipment."

He smiled. She was finally calling him Chuck instead of Carmichael, which was great in his book. It meant that they were beginning to develop a rapport. "All you need to do is survey the target and tell us what you need. We'll take care of the rest. Besides that, the only thing I can tell you is that the target is a chalet."

"You mean whatever it is you want me to steal for you is in a chalet."

"Um, it's not just about us wanting you to steal something. It's mostly about finding a way in to do something extra as well."

"Are you going to tell me what it is, or is it need to know, too?"

"It's no big deal, really. I'm going in with you to take care of the _other_ thing."

"It won't work, Chuck."

"Why not?"

"First of all, I work alone. And two, it totally changes the logistics. Third, the more people participate, the risks increase exponentially."

"I think you're assuming that we'll be splitting up once we get inside."

"It's the worst case scenario, Chuck."

"We won't be splitting up. My objective is in the same room as the safe."

"Okay. I suppose it doesn't matter now. I can figure a way in for two people – I hope. How good is their security?"

"Top of the line," he replied laconically.

She bit on a cookie and chewed on it, while he was sure he could hear the gears turning in her head. "Top of the line means nothing to me right now. I need specifics, if possible a thorough rundown on all security measures."

"I'll see what we can do."

"Deal. I can help, too."

"Since you're in, you're in. You'll be kept in the loop on everything pertinent to your part of the operation." His phone rang and offered a brief apology before answering. "It was Bryce," he said when he hung up. "We're good to go."

"Meaning?"

"We fly out in two hours."

"OK."

"That leaves me just enough time to go souvenir hunting."

"Are you serious?"

"I am. My place back home is full of souvenirs from my travels. What? Can't a guy like me be into collecting mementos?"

"Come on," she said smiling. It was the first real smile since meeting him and his team. Then she stopped in her tracks.

"Sarah, is anything wrong?"

"No, nothing."

"Tell me. If it affects the assignment, I need to know."

"See that guy over there?"

"What of him?"

"It's the detective I knocked out last night."

"But he doesn't remember you, from what you told me."

"Uh-huh."

"Just to be on the safe side, we'll go the other way."

-o-

Chuck was thinking about Sarah as they left the café. Her attitude was not what he expected. But then again, she was rather obviously caught up in the thrill of a heist. She might be resenting being coerced into working with him and his team, but she also viewed the whole deal as a challenge she couldn't resist, overriding her dislike of Agent Charles Carmichael.

The souvenir hunting side mission was short and sweet. After carefully depositing his purchases on the back seat of his rental car, he drove back to the hotel. Their luggage was soon loaded in the trunk and they were off to the airport, followed by Bryce and Morgan in their car.

"For a nonexistent entity, Carmichael Industries sure exudes an aura of wealth," Sarah said admiringly, seeing the beautiful Dassault Falcon 7X executive aircraft waiting for them on the airport's ramp outside the private section of the terminal.

"It's all part of a cover," Bryce informed her.

Once inside the aircraft they made themselves comfortable in the luxuriously furnished interior. The flight was not going to be long. As soon as they were airborne, Morgan reclined his seat and fell asleep. Bryce and Chuck followed suit. In their line of work sleep was precious and one learned to get some at every opportunity. Sarah admired the scenery from a window for a little while before she too decided to grab some shuteye.

Chuck woke her up ten minutes before landing and advised her to change into her new pantsuit. She went to the lavatory, from which she emerged in the recommended outfit. She soon realized why he had recommended it specifically. It was cold and rainy in Zurich. Once the formalities were over and done with, they went to pick up two cars and then drove to a nice chalet overlooking the lake.

"Do you like it?" Chuck asked her.

"Yes, it's beautiful."

"And most useful for us, too. Just pick a room."

"Okay. What did you mean by useful, Chuck?"

"You'll see," he replied cryptically. "But we were lucky to find it."

Being a very smart woman, she realized what he was talking about. "It's like the one we are going to break in to."

"Yep. It's not merely like it. It's its identical twin. We won't have to go to the trouble of renting a warehouse to build a practice course in."

She immediately started examining the place with an experienced eye. "There are many potential ingress points, assuming we can bypass or overcome the security measures."

"I'm perfectly content to leave the matter to you. That's what we hired you for anyway."

"Don't forget what I told back in Rome you about getting me everything you can on the target's security."

"I'm way ahead of you there, Sarah. Most of the data has been already compiled, plus we are going to create LIDAR and infrared imaging maps of the other chalet in order to pinpoint the exact location of security sensors and controls."

"You have everything under control, it seems."

"I certainly hope so."

"Guys, I'm going out for a while," Morgan informed them.

"Where is he going?" Sarah asked.

"Oh, he's going grocery shopping," Bryce told her.

"Can I get you anything, Sarah?"

"No, I can't think of anything right now."

"Okie-dokie. I'll bring pizza for dinner."

"I'd like a vegetarian with no olives, please," Sarah called.

"You don't like olives?" Chuck asked. "You don't know what you're missing."

"I don't like them cooked. But I love them raw."

"Suit yourself. Morgan, drive safe."

"I'll go take a room," Sarah said.

"Sure. Like I told you, pick any bedroom you like."

"Thanks. I'll be back here in a few minutes to talk shop."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** You didn't have to wait long for this update, either. And as things appear to be rather slow in the CHUCK section of FF lately, I'm slowly beginning to catch up on my reading as well. Hopefully, things will stay normal at the office too, thus enabling me to read more and update frequently.

Yet again, a heartfelt thank you for the support you give me in the form of reviews, favorites, C2s and alerts. For now, I hope you enjoy the chapter. It should be humorous enough.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

After the pizza dinner, Chuck gave Sarah everything they had on the mark's residence so far. She took the folder in her room to study, after Chuck and Bryce assured her that they knew the contents by heart. Being a firm believer in meticulous and thorough planning, one of the reasons why she was so successful, she was determined to be able to go around the chalet blindfolded before bedtime.

First, she changed into her pajamas (iris blue colored Carole Hochman Midnight Cocktail PJs, no less. Sarah had excellent taste in clothes) and performed some relaxing exercises before sitting cross-legged on the bed and starting going through the files. Chuck had been right in saying that the security was top of the line. Indeed, the system came from a company considered the bane of every high-end thief. Sarah however, was confident of her ability to find a way to beat it.

A couple of hours later, the bed was strewn with various papers from the folder, her notes and crumpled pages from the notepad she was using. She had made some progress, but not much. She needed the exact layout of the security system components before even beginning to think about planning an entry strategy. Still, she had familiarized herself with the more obvious security features of the target. Then, she decided to take a break. While going to the kitchen to grab a quick snack and something to drink, she passed outside Chuck's room. The door was open just a crack, but she could clearly hear a conversation from inside the room. Chuck was on the phone talking to somebody.

"Really, sis, I'm fine," Sarah heard him say. "Yes, that too… Tell him I said hi... No, I didn't forget it. You'll get your cuckoo clock, all right… Yes, I won't forget the chocolates either. I'll get you a month's supply… You are welcome. Have you talked to Mom and Dad? I called them a couple of days ago from Rome… No need to be so jealous, sis, I got you plenty of stuff from there."

Sarah felt bad eavesdropping on such a private conversation. But it reminded her of something: Chuck was just human. Her thoughts immediately went to her own family. She hadn't talked to her parents and her sister in a long time. She wondered how they were doing. Sighing as she continued towards the kitchen, she resolved to at least call them at the first opportunity, probably after the whole affair in Zurich was over and done with.

He found her not long later prowling the spacious chalet, taking copious notes on the construction of doors and windows. "Hard at work, I see," he said.

"Planning is the foundation of a successful operation."

"We're a lot alike in this respect, Sarah."

"Yes, I suppose we are. What's our next move?"

"It's very simple, actually. We do nothing."

"Excuse me?"

"From what I see the four of us already did everything we could so far. Now we wait for some special equipment to be delivered."

"The LIDAR and infrared imager," she deduced.

"Correct. As soon as we get them, we'll go for a recon."

"Sounds like a good plan to me."

"Thanks. So, what do you think? About the job, I mean."

"It's impossible."

"What?"

"But doable," Sarah smiled.

"Explain."

"I studied everything you gave me in detail. Your mark's security system is going to be a pain to crack. In fact, it's the second best money can buy."

"Huh?"

"The best in the world are the high end security systems made by a company called Orion. Not even I can defeat those. It just ain't done."

"Tell me more about the mark's system."

"Every year, the manufacturer hosts a challenge, offering fifty thousand bucks to whoever can crack it. The who's who of ex-cons shows up. For five years running, not one of them walked away with the prize."

"But you can do it."

"I'm hopeful. The system is designed to be modular and reconfigurable. The more I know about its layout, the better tactics I'll devise to overcome it."

"Right now, I'm taking your guarded optimism as a good sign."

"You really should. But, Chuck, this is my thing."

"I know."

"It means that I'm the lead on this, understand? You and the others will have to listen to me and follow my orders on anything break-in related."

"Of course. We wouldn't have it any other way. It's the reason why you're getting the big bucks. Also, anything you want equipment wise, no matter how exotic or outlandish it sounds, we can get you. No expense will be spared."

"It must be important."

"You have no idea. Thousands of lives are at stake here." He was totally honest with her.

"Shit." For the first time she realized how high the stakes were. It was much more than plain thievery, something she had almost forgotten, completely absorbed as she was in the planning of the heist.

"Exactly." He checked his watch. "It's getting late. We should be getting some sleep. Goodnight Sarah."

"Goodnight Chuck."

-o-

Sarah woke up in the middle of the night. Her mouth was dry, so she decided to go drink some water in the kitchen. She didn't bother to turn the lights on. Even in her sleepy state, she wanted to see how well she had memorized the chalet's layout. She made it to the kitchen without any problems. And then she collided with someone.

"Crap!"

"Chuck?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to get a drink of water."

"Me too."

He flicked on the light and took in their situation. The plastic pitcher of water was lying on the floor, its contents splashed all over, Chuck and Sarah included.

"Sorry. I guess even being a spy is not enough to suppress my inner klutz."

She laughed. "It's as much my fault as it is yours, Chuck. Besides, we can barely keep our eyes open."

"I certainly didn't expect anyone here at this ungodly hour."

"Me neither," she agreed.

"We gotta change."

"Uh-huh."

Since they had neighboring rooms, they went there together. "We didn't get our water, did we, Sarah?"

"No, but we will as soon as we get changed."

She changed into some sweats and went to the kitchen again, where she found Chuck mopping the floor. He had also changed into a t-shirt and sweatpants. Sarah poured two glasses of water and gave him one. He nodded his thanks.

"Does this place have a dryer?" Sarah asked.

"No, but I hung my clothes to dry in front of the fireplace in the living room. There is enough room for your jammies, too."

"Thanks."

"You are welcome."

-o-

The following morning Morgan cooked a hearty breakfast. The discussion at the table revolved around the operation. Chuck told the others about Sarah's assessment of the security system they were up against.

"That may be it," Morgan said when Chuck finished the narrative. "But I seriously doubt that the system ever had to face both a pro like Sarah and a nerd spy like you at the same time. I think we have reason to be optimistic."

"Nerd spy?" Sarah queried. It sounded funny and she chuckled a bit.

"Chuck's a professional nerd," Bryce told her.

"And proud of it," Chuck added.

"He knows everything there is to know about electronics. I'd say you two are a match made in heaven, professionally," continued Bryce.

A phone beeped. Morgan checked it. "The stuff we requested will be arriving within the hour."

"Fantastic. Sarah, I got the satellite imagery of the target area in my email earlier. What do you say? Would you like to plan the recon with me?"

"Yes. I want to find the best vantage points to set up our equipment. The more coverage we get, the less skulking around in the woods will be necessary."

"I'll print some to keep notes on. Then we can view the originals on the fabulous high definition flat screen in the living room."

"The guys are right. You really are a nerd, Chuck."

"Guilty as charged," he laughed.

Everyone pitched in to help with the washing up. Afterwards, Chuck and Sarah went to the study and printed several of the satellite photos. Then he connected his laptop to the TV and settled down on the couch.

"Nice computer," she remarked.

"Thanks. It's the flagship of the Orion line. The battery lasts forever and the titanium casing can withstand a herd of stampeding elephants."

She concentrated on the image displayed on the screen. "You were right. This chalet is indeed the identical twin of our own."

"We were lucky. Apparently the architect reused the design for a client in a hurry."

"And it's solidly built, which rules out major alterations to the interior configuration."

"Yeah, knocking down walls to enlarge rooms is not the easiest thing in this kind of building."

"I already see a couple of places we can set up your equipment for the sweeps. I suggest we go here first and then here." She used a laser pointer to show him exactly where.

"This way we'll get almost full coverage with only two sweeps. Very good, Sarah."

"Plus, as you said, we'll be able to pinpoint the location of just about every sensor and alarm within the sweep zone. It'd be better to do at least one more, just to be on the safe side. But we'll also have to sweep the grounds between the fence and the chalet."

"Why?"

"Trust me, Chuck. It's what I do. If I were a world class baddie, I'd make damn certain that anyone who even got past the fence would not get to the house undetected."

"A couple of cameras on the roof would take care of the matter."

"Cameras can be fooled or bypassed. Me, I'd have a sensor grid set at about knee height."

He looked at her admiringly. "Getting you to work with us was very fortunate indeed."

"Barring the unconventional method you used to accomplish the end of hiring me to consult on your operation, I'll have to agree."

"Like you would have accepted had we just approached you with an offer."

"You got a point there, Chuck."

"OK. You and I will do the sweeps. Bryce will be driving and providing overwatch for us."

"What about Morgan?"

"He'll stay here and monitor the feeds we beam him."

"It's a good plan," she agreed.

"Yes, if I say so myself. And now we get to the good part." He hit a few keys on his laptop and more pictures appeared on the TV. "This is the mark's study."

"I can't see a safe anywhere… unless it's hidden in one of the bigger pieces of old fashioned furniture, like the bookcase."

"I concur."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, although I'd pretty much like to know what kind of safe it is. It'll make preparation a lot easier and it'll save time once we're in. Every second counts."

"I'll see what I can do. By the way, the recon will take place after nightfall."

"Under cover of darkness, it makes sense. I just hope it won't be an all-nighter."

"Believe me, so do I. Get your black clothing out."

"I thought you'd never ask," she smiled.

-o-

"Let's get this over and done with, it's freezing out here," Chuck said, setting up the tripod for the LIDAR. Next to him, Sarah was preparing the transmission equipment to beam the footage from both devices to Morgan.

"We're good to go on my end."

"Okay. Just let this baby warm up and we're in business."

"Goody. You know, I used this kind of high-tech equipment only once when casing a target. I normally use stuff one can find in a run of the mill spy shop. You'd be surprised to learn how useful even cheap gear can be."

"Then it must have been a difficult job."

"Yes, but it turned out to be my best work."

Chuck knew what she was talking about. "It's become kind of a legend. We were awesomely impressed when we found that it was just you and not an entire crew."

"Time to start the sweep."

"Allow me, Sarah."

"What, you don't trust me to work this stuff?"

"I trust you all right, but I signed for it. If we break it, it comes out of my paycheck, so I figure if I'm gonna pay for it, I might as well play with it."

"Fine by me," she conceded.

A few minutes later the first sweep was over. Morgan confirmed reception of the data, so they packed it up and trekked through the woods to another vantage point. Just to be on the safe side, they performed sweeps from four points. They didn't bother analyzing the results on the spot. They'd have all the time in the world after they got back to their chalet for that.

The last sweep was almost finished. But then Sarah noticed something on the hooded display screen as Chuck prepared to pack the LIDAR, unwittingly nudging the swiveling head of the infrared imager with his shoulder.

"Chuck?"

"What?"

"We've got company."

He immediately drew his gun. "Where?"

"Ten o'clock, two hundred meters."

"Bryce, I think there is some competition around," Chuck warned his partner over the comms.

"Do you want me to take them out?"

"Negative for now. I want to see who we're dealing with, first." He took a starlight scope out of a carrying case and focused it in the direction of the people Sarah had spotted. "It's a small world," he said finally, with more than a touch of amusement in his voice.

"You know them?" Sarah asked.

"I know their team leader. Damn, this is gonna be fun."

"Tell Bryce," she reminded him.

"Right. Bryce buddy, stand down. They're friendlies - sorta."

"Roger that."

"You might want to listen to this, too." He took a phone out of a pocket and scrolled his way down the contacts list, looking for one particular name. He pressed dial when he found it and put the phone on speaker. He didn't want the others to miss the fun.

"Hello," a gruff voice answered Chuck's call.

"Hey Sugar Bear," Chuck teased.

"Carmichael, I recall telling you that I'd kill you if you ever said it again." The voice was now low and menacing. Sarah could tell that the man was dead serious and shivered involuntarily.

"It's not my fault that I just happened to overhear a call from your wife."

"What do you want?"

"Look at your three, two hundred meters downhill." When he saw the other man point a vision device in his direction, he started waving in a friendly manner.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Carmichael?"

"The same thing you are, apparently. I suggest joining forces, to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort. What do you say, big guy?"

"Sure, why not?"

"I'll call my ride to pick us up. You can send your guys home."

"Roger that, Carmichael."

-o-

"Hello Casey," Chuck said when they stopped to pick up the man he referred to as 'Sugar Bear'.

"Carmichael," Casey acknowledged the greeting. Then he spotted Sarah in the back seat. "Who's the skirt?"

Sarah bristled at the comment, which she perceived as sexist, but before she could express her indignation, Chuck intervened. "She's not an agent, dude, so go easy on the slurs."

"In that case, I apologize, Miss…"

"Walker. Sarah Walker," she replied. "I'm a consultant working with Agent Carmichael and his team."

"John Casey," he introduced himself. He and Sarah shook hands. Then he turned to Chuck. "Are you losing your touch, Carmichael? You've never needed the services of a consultant before."

"This is a special case."

"How so?"

"The security measures over there are not to be trifled with."

"Bullshit. Nothing can stop a Special Forces team, especially one with enough firepower to level a small town."

"You were planning to go in with guns blazing?"

"The General wants him in custody. Dead or alive, I might add. Her exact words."

"Since we have a connecting case, I might as well tell you that we were planning to be far more subtle, namely retrieving critical information and bugging the place to the hilt without announcing it to the world."

"At times like this I almost wish we had better means to exchange information with you CIA pukes. We were lucky today. Otherwise we might've had a huge cluster fuck in our hands, not to mention two very dead CIA agents, a gold star in my book by the way, but anything bad happening to your innocent consultant, like her becoming collateral damage, would be very regrettable."

"Interagency rivalry is a bitch, isn't it?"

*grunt* (Occasionally, it is)

The rest of the ride back to the chalet was quiet. Sarah was thinking. Chuck and Bryce obviously knew this Casey character. He definitely wasn't CIA. So, what was he? NSA, DIA, or was he from another government intelligence agency? Not that it mattered right now, but she was a little curious.

"Nice digs," Casey commented when they entered the chalet. "It's good to see how the taxpayers' dollars are spent by the CIA."

"Come off it, Johnny Boy," Bryce scolded him. "If you must know, this place is identical to the target."

"Larkin, watch your mouth, if you want to keep your teeth in their place."

"Can we keep it civilized for a few minutes?" Chuck asked, exasperated. "Casey, I suggest you call your boss and tell her about the latest developments. I'll call the Director and ask him to talk to her as well."

-o-

When the two team leaders rejoined the others in the living room after finishing making calls, Morgan had already made enough tea for everyone. Chuck and Casey helped themselves to a mug each and sat down to talk.

"I got my new orders," Casey said without preamble. "Apparently the General agreed to let you have this one. My team and I are to provide assistance as required."

"Good to know. I think we'll only need your team to cover us should we have to beat a quick retreat. But if we're successful, we'll share the intel we glean with the NSA."

"OK. Tell me about your operation. First of all, how far along are you on the planning?"

"Tonight was the recon," Sarah answered. "We'll start planning the entry strategy in the morning based on the data we have accumulated."

"Sarah's the security systems expert," Chuck clarified.

"I see. Well, until you have a plan, there is nothing for me to do, unless you want my opinion."

"The more the merrier," Chuck said. "You are welcome to join us again in the morning."

"Thank you Carmichael. I'll call one of my people to drive me back to my hotel."

"See you tomorrow then."

TO BE CONTINUED


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** This is another quick update. By now some of you have identified three of the movies I'm paying homage to with this fic (D.O.A., Entrapment and The Italian Job). Let's see how many more you can find. For now, enjoy the chapter. Cheers!

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

"Guys, has anyone of you seen Sarah? She sorta disappeared after breakfast."

"She's in the study, Chuck," Morgan replied. "While you were out for supplies she got busy studying the videos and stills you took yesterday. All she asked for was a pot of coffee and some croissants."

"Croissants?" Chuck echoed.

"Chocolate croissants, no less," continued Morgan. "The girl's working hard for her paycheck."

"I'll go see how she's doing."

"Casey will be here in an hour," Bryce informed him.

"All the more reason to see how far she's progressed."

"Dude, Sarah is good at what she does. I'm sure she'll have something good by now."

He shrugged, went to the study and knocked.

"Come in," Sarah called from inside.

He entered. Photos were tacked or taped all over the place. The computer was still playing a video taken the night before. An empty cup of coffee and a half-eaten croissant were competing for space with her notes on the mahogany desk. As for Sarah, she was still in the casual clothes she had been wearing at breakfast. But now her blonde tresses were pulled up in a messy bun and skewered with a number two pencil to hold them in place. She took another bite of her croissant and furrowed her brow in thought.

"Give me good news, Sarah," he said cheerfully.

She looked up. "What makes you think I have good news?"

"I don't think. I know. You're really good, Sarah, so you're bound to have something juicy by now."

"Well, if you consider finding out which routes to avoid like the plague good news, then yes, I have good news."

"Show me."

"OK. Take a seat." She waited until he was seated comfortably. "There is no way to bypass or disable the camera and the alarm covering the front door."

"So… scratch that route."

"Also, walking or crawling from the fence to the house is completely out of the question. The sensors are lower than knee level, just two or three inches above the grass and they are layered. I just described the lower grid. The upper grid is at four feet. The sensors of both grids are following random sweep patterns, making it completely impossible to dodge them."

"It's not like I was planning to dance my way through the sensors." He noticed the funny look she gave him. "What? I love heist movies."

"Anyway, we are lucky on one count. This place is primarily a house, a residence, so the security system is geared towards preventing entry in general and securing just one room in particular."

"The study," he said.

"The study," she confirmed. "There were no indications of sensors or alarms in the other rooms."

"Makes sense. I mean, who would want to have to shut off an alarm just to go take a leak in the middle of the night? Tell me more."

"Well, I mentioned the outer sensor grids. If one is tripped, one of the cameras placed around the house swivels to investigate the contact, running the image through a mass recognition program. If it turns out to be just an animal, the system goes back to standby. If it detects a human…"

"All sorts of alarms go off," Chuck guessed.

"Correct."

"Okay, can't we crawl on the ground to avoid the lower grid?"

"To do that you'd have to jump over the fence, most likely triggering both grids. Cutting a hole in the fence is also not something I'd do. It's rigged to the alarm as well."

"Rigged? How?"

"My guess is low voltage electrical current running through the metal."

"Then we can bypass it with jumper cables."

"We'd still have to cut through the fence with a power tool, making noise and a lot of sparks. A hacksaw is out of the question. It would take far too long."

"I just remembered something. Dogs sometimes dig under fences. But it too would be very time consuming, I guess. We'd be exposed for far too long."

"And we'd risk discovery at the very least forcing us to abort. At worst, we'd be in a firefight. We're lucky on one count though: There are no patrolling guards."

"What's to patrol? Besides, the security office in the attic has feeds from multiple redundant cameras covering the entire property."

"Ah, you noticed that."

"For your information, Sarah, I'm pretty good at breaking and entering."

"You proved that when you broke into my hotel room without me noticing. Back to the job at hand, I believe I found a weakness in the security system that we can exploit."

"I'm all ears."

"The chalet is built on a slope. The wood line behind it is less than fifteen meters from the edge of the gable roof and so is the fence." She stopped talking and played a part of the video footage they had taken during the night. "As you can see, the sensor coverage stops at the fence. The cameras covering the rear likewise have a limited field of view in the vertical, being unable to see two meters past the fence."

"I'm starting to like what I think you're going to tell me next. Going through or under the fence is out of the question, but it appears we can go over it."

"You're one hundred percent correct, Chuck. With the proper equipment, I can get us on the roof. From there it will be a relatively simple matter to avoid the security office and find a way into the study. I trust you can get me said equipment."

"Just tell me what you need. With the combined resources of the CIA and the NSA, I can get you anything. And I mean anything."

"Can you get me a medium rare cheeseburger with extra pickles?" Sarah meant it as a joke, but Chuck took her seriously.

"Excuse me a moment." He went out and returned a few minutes later. "You'll have your cheeseburger soon."

"What do you mean?"

"I talked to the others and called Casey. He agreed to bring lunch."

"I never expected to be taken seriously."

"Your hard work needs to be rewarded."

"Thanks. Would you like me to continue with the details?"

"No, not yet. Better to wait for Casey. Then, you can tell us all about your brainstorming and give us a list of equipment you consider necessary for the operation. And before I forget, I got authorization to give you a down payment, but from what I see it will in fact be payment for services rendered up to this moment." He took an envelope from a jacket pocket and handed it to her.

"Thank you." She quickly counted the money. It was in both US dollars and Swiss Francs.

"In US currency it's about two thousand bucks in total."

"I… I don't know what to say. But I really appreciate it."

"You are welcome. I figured you might want to go shopping at some point and you would need the extra cash. The rest of your fee will also be paid in cash."

"You don't want to leave a paper trail, do you?"

"No paper trail equals plausible deniability on the CIA's part, Sarah. What others don't know won't hurt them."

-o-

Casey soon arrived, bearing lunch. While they enjoyed it, Chuck filled them all in on Sarah's progress. The NSA agent was duly impressed by the young blonde's thoroughness. The plan so far certainly made sense. When Chuck finished speaking, he asked the logical question.

"And how do you propose to go over the fence and the open ground between it and the house while remaining out of the cameras' field of view?"

"For that we'll need some very special equipment," Sarah replied. "Specifically, this part of the operation calls for a gun-launched grappling hook."

"It's so pirate-y," remarked Morgan.

"But instead of a ship's gunwales, I'll be aiming it at the chimney. It's strong enough to support even Mr. Casey's weight with no problems, provided we go one at a time."

"What if you miss?" Bryce asked.

"I don't miss," she replied.

"Bryce means that we have to cover every contingency, Sarah."

"Well, for such an eventuality we'd have to carry spare hooks and cable reels."

"It should be no problem getting those. Do you have any specific preferences, make, model and the like?"

"As a matter of fact I do, Chuck." She grabbed a notepad, scribbled something on a page and tore it off, handing it to him. "This is the best complete system in the market. Special Forces and police SWAT teams also it when required. Personally, I prefer an even better version, but I'd have to order it myself."

"What do you mean better?"

"It's equipped with a special sight connected to a rangefinder, giving the correct aiming point under any and all conditions. But in our case, we'll be firing it horizontally instead of vertically, so the trajectory is going to be flat, obviating the need for the special sight. As an added bonus, my grappling hook launcher of choice also breaks down into small easily concealable parts."

"Dammit Carmichael," Casey groused. "You didn't tell me your consultant is a thief."

"Need to know, my friend. It's all need to know."

"But since you figured it out, Mr. Casey, yes, I am a thief. Chuck, how soon can we get it delivered?"

"I'll call Langley and have one sent here from an Army base in Germany. I expect we'll have it by tomorrow morning at the latest."

"Good. I want to start practicing as soon as possible. While waiting for it and some other stuff to arrive, we can prepare a room to simulate the mark's study as closely as possible. Oh, I took the liberty to add some very special night vision goggles to the list."

Casey cleared his throat. "Is there any way I can help?"

"Not for now," Sarah said. "But we'll need you for the practice sessions. And you could give us a hand in rearranging the study."

"Sure, I can do that."

"Great. Chuck, can I borrow your car please? I want to go buy some things."

"I'll come with you. Right now you are a valuable asset to the team and you need to be protected."

"Don't be silly, nothing's going to happen to me. I'll be back before you know it."

"My team and I didn't survive this long by being complacent, Sarah. Please, it'll make me feel better."

"Okay. I'll need someone to help carry the stuff to the car anyway."

"Great. Morgan, I'll need some money from the mission petty cash."

"How much?"

"Sarah?"

"Five hundred Francs should do it."

"You heard the lady."

"I'll be right down."

Sarah drove the Jeep Cherokee to Zurich. With the help of a very useful app in Chuck's smart phone, they quickly found the shops she wanted and soon the trunk and the back seat were loaded with bags and boxes.

"I just thought of something," she said. They had stopped at a small café before going back to the chalet and taken a seat in a quiet corner.

"I'm listening."

"We don't know anything about the mark's safe. I can crack just about any safe, but it'll be faster if I am prepared."

"There are people in Langley working on it as we speak. They'll call us when they have results."

"I hope they do their job properly."

"They will. FYI, right now they are hacking into every high-end safe maker's and vendor's database to find who shipped one to our mark's chalet and what model it was."

"Devious," she remarked and took a sip of her coffee. "These pastries are delicious. We should get some for the guys, too."

-o-

Part of the garage was turned into a workshop. Using instructions provided by Sarah, Bryce and Morgan were hard at work making a skeleton frame to simulate the bookshelves in the mark's study. Upstairs, Chuck, Sarah and Casey were busily moving furniture around, trying to replicate the target room as closely as possible, using the surveillance photos for reference.

It was hard and occasionally backbreaking work, but in the end they had a room that was to all intents and purposes identical to the one they wanted to break in to. Sarah looked particularly pleased with the fruits of her work.

"Guys, I normally work alone, but if I ever had to join a crew, you'd be it."

"The job is not over yet," Chuck reminded her. "But thanks for the vote of confidence."

"You're right; it's not over yet, not by a long shot. There are more things to do. Morgan, I need the yarn, the thumbtacks and the duct tape."

"What do you need the yarn for? Are you taking up knitting?"

"Me? Hell, no. But we can simulate the security lasers with it."

"Will it work?"

"Yes. They are fixed, so with their locations known thanks to the sweep we performed yesterday it's going to be an easy matter to avoid them."

She and Chuck had made accurate diagrams of the laser grid in the study, so before long the room was crisscrossed with red yarn.

"What do you think, Ms. Walker?" Casey asked.

"It's going to be a tight squeeze at places, but I can do it. I'm not so sure about Chuck though. He's going to have a lot of difficulty following me."

"Actually, Sarah, I'm only interested in the computer at the desk," Chuck told her.

"Then I can get you in and out with no one the wiser."

"I'm counting on it."

"Excellent. Morgan, you'll stay here and report when the bug starts transmitting. Bryce, you're the getaway driver and relay station. Casey, you and your team pull security."

"Methinks it'll work, Carmichael."

"Don't get your hopes up until we get our hands on the info on the safe I'll have to crack," Sarah cautioned.

"The contents of the safe are desirable to have, but I can settle for bugging his computer," Chuck said.

"Chuck, I'm surprised. I didn't think you'd do things halfway."

"I'm merely being practical, Sarah. In this case, I'll take what I can get without compromising the mission."

"Hey, I get it. Now, help me rig this to the window, will you? It will simulate the alarm there. Being a top of the line system, it includes a hinge sensor. A grid covering the pane itself is unnecessary, as it is armor glass. In short, even if I disabled the magnets around the sill, the hinge sensor would trip the alarm as I opened it. Annoying, but it can be defeated."

"How?" Bryce asked.

"By removing the entire window, frame included, from the wall," she replied. "Enter the rods and the power tools I bought at that hardware store. I measured the fittings here, which are identical to the ones at the mark's place. Trust me. It will work. Until the grappling hook and its launcher arrive, we can rehearse the entry phase."

"Tell us what we need to do."

"Casey, Bryce and Morgan can sit and watch. As for the two of us, let's break out the climbing gear."

"I'll go get it," Morgan said. As the logistics expert, he knew where everything was. Sarah had given them her gear back in Rome, too.

Before long, Chuck and Sarah were on the gable roof, dressed in black mission gear, a safety line tied around the chimney and attached to their harnesses. The others were watching from the balcony. Fortunately, the chalet was isolated and there would be no unwelcome spectators to the rehearsals.

"Are you guys OK up there?" Bryce called.

"We're just peachy, pal," replied Chuck. "Start timing us."

Sarah led the way to the front and then crawled on her stomach when she reached the edge of the roof, peering down to visually verify the location of the security cameras – simulated by a pair of soft drink cans. Chuck, following behind her, had a great view of her butt in the form-fitting mission pants. Keeping out of the cameras' field of view, she lightly dropped down to the balcony. Chuck followed suit a few seconds later. Using the power tool, she removed the upper right bolt from the window frame of the study, replacing it with a metal rod. She did the same with the rest of the bolts and within minutes she had pulled the entire window, frame and all, about half a meter from the wall. The gap was enough for them to get in.

She got in first and stood to the side, allowing him to enter. "Mind the lasers," she reminded him.

"I know. But thanks for the heads-up anyway."

"You're welcome."

"Guys, right now you can clearly see the yarn," Morgan said, taking a sip of his soft drink. He never seemed to be without a soda can. "But what happens when you do it for real?"

"We'll use night vision goggles to avoid the lasers."

"Night vision goggles do not give good depth perception."

"Then we'll use compressed gas as well. Not enough to fog the interior of the room and prevent us from seeing past our noses, but sufficient to make the laser beams visible."

"Does this answer your question, little buddy?"

"Sure does, bro. Carry on."

"Where to now, Sarah?"

"You head for the desk and do your thing. There are not too many beams in your way. Go."

"Okie-dokie."

She watched him as he carefully made his way to the desk without a single bell of the dozens hanging from the yarn ringing. "Good job, Chuck. My turn now."

The four men watched spellbound as she used the natural agility of her shapely body to slip between the 'laser beams' and make her way to the biggest cupboard under the bookcase and then to another large piece of furniture. Finally, she checked behind the paintings hanging on the walls.

"Well?"

"I can easily move about to find the safe. And then I'll have sufficient room to work on cracking it. Your villain and his people did a lousy job placing the sensors around the room. They left too many blind spots and gaps in the coverage."

"Then we are very lucky. And a bit of luck is always welcome as far as I'm concerned. Bryce, what's our time?"

"Ten minutes from the time Sarah dropped from the roof to her finishing the search for the safe. All things considered, it's record time."

"Ms. Walker, I think I found a flaw in your plan," Casey said suddenly.

"Please tell me."

"What are you going to do about the cable and the hook? You can't just leave them on the chimney and we can't throw them back. They could fall short and trip the ground sensors."

"Damn! He's right!" Chuck exclaimed. "Good call, Casey."

*grunt* (It was nothing)

"We can always shoot it back," Sarah shrugged after thinking it over. "We'll just have to take the launcher with us to the roof."

"That can work," Casey said. "Call Langley and have your people send a couple of extra propellant cylinders for the launcher, Carmichael."

"I'll take care of it," volunteered Morgan.

With the first rehearsal completed satisfactorily, they tried again. The results were the same, plus they improved a little on their time. And then it was dinnertime. Casey accepted an invitation to stay and Morgan whipped up something delicious.

"What's that?" Sarah asked. She was curious about Morgan's soft drink addiction.

"It's grape soda. I love the stuff."

"Can I try some?"

"Be my guest."

She opened a can and took a tentative sip. "Yikes! That stuff is awful! How can you drink it?"

"You have to acquire a taste for it. Plus, it's a lot better on the rocks."

Sarah tried it on the rocks and agreed it was really better that way.

"Listen up, people," Chuck said. "We did excellent work today and covered a lot of ground. I suggest we relax and enjoy a movie now."

Everyone else voiced their agreement, so the four spies and the thief gathered in the living room.

TO BE CONTINUED


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Let me begin by expressing my displeasure at the course the show is taking after viewing the promo for the next episode. I mean, is it really that hard for the "writers" to come up with something good instead of reusing old and thoroughly disliked material? Most of the people who write here could do a far better job. Rant over. Let's hope the new chapter can help put a smile on your face.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

"Yeah, I got it, thanks," Chuck said. "You guys are fantastic and I mean it." After hanging up the phone he yawned and got out of bed. The guys in Langley had good news for him and his team, but they could have called a little later and not this early in the morning. Chuck had had a late night and he could use a little more sleep. But, since he was awake, he figured it was as good a time as any to start the day. Still yawning, he made his way to the nearest bathroom. Opening the door, he froze in the middle of another yawn. There, fresh out of the shower, was a gloriously naked and glistening wet Sarah Walker. She turned, looked at him and for a second both were so stunned as to be unable to move or speak.

"Sarah?" Chuck finally squeaked.

"Chuck, turn around!"

Both were blushing furiously as he turned around and exited, closing the door behind him, while she reached for her bathrobe.

_Great_, she thought. _I picked one morning to get up early for a change and someone walks in on me as I'm getting out of the shower. Talk about lousy timing!_ "You can come in now, I'm decent," she said aloud.

"Thanks," he said entering the bathroom. "And sorry about before. I didn't expect anyone up at this hour, especially not you. You didn't seem like a morning person to me."

"I'm a night owl all right," she agreed. "But today was an exception. It was not your fault. You did look rather sleepy."

"Yeah, late night, plus the support team from Langley woke me up."

"They had good news, I hope."

"Oh yeah. They found what kind of safe we'll be dealing with. Now, all we need to do is get our hands on an identical one," he informed her as he splashed some water on his face.

"Or just the locking mechanism, the kind legitimate locksmiths use to practice opening safes. What did they tell you?"

"It's a Worthington Series 1000-E small size."

"The 1000 Series are notoriously difficult to crack – for the average thief."

"But they are a breeze to someone like you."

"Yes and no. You see, the E suffix means that it has an additional electronic lock. Said lock can be connected to the security system and it is prudent to assume this is the case."

"You can do it, right?"

She chewed her lower lip in thought. "It may be possible. Theoretically, I could use jumper cables to bypass the contact points, making the system think that the safe door is still closed. If a wireless connection is used, we'll need to overpower the signal from the safe, transmitting an identical one before disabling both the electronic and mechanical locks."

"The mark is not making it easy for us, is he?"

"No, but I like a challenge." She smiled. "I'll go get dressed now. You make us some coffee."

"Okie-dokie."

"Oh, and, Chuck?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you like what you saw in the bathroom?"

"Huh? Yes, I mean… I…"

"Don't sweat about it, Chuck. You already told me how respectful you are of women."

"You're evil."

"Just trying to make light out of a hugely embarrassing situation," Sarah laughed. Then she sashayed to her room, leaving a red-faced Chuck behind.

-o-

Chuck tried to forget the embarrassment by immersing himself in work. He reviewed the surveillance footage again and again, more as a way to keep busy than memorize every feature of the study, which he had already done, when he saw it.

"I'll be damned," he muttered.

"What?" Sarah asked. She was now in comfortable jeans and a turtleneck sweater and had come to get her morning coffee.

He turned and smiled. "I know where the safe is."

"You do?"

"Yup. It's in one of the locations we suspected, specifically the cabinet."

"How…?"

"I reviewed the footage we took the other day. We had missed it until now, but if you look closely, you'll see the signature of the electronic lock wireless interface."

She squinted at the computer screen. "No wonder had we missed it until now… The good news is that I can work more comfortably there and the equipment we have is more than adequate for the job."

"I can help speed the process up. I have a gadget with a killer program that you can use to find the combination of the electronic lock."

"Will it work?"

"It has worked on electronic locks made by the same company as the one on the safe, among others."

"Okay. So far so good. I won't have to compromise my own sources."

"Care to bet that we're probably buying from the same suppliers on occasion?"

"Frankly, it wouldn't surprise me, Chuck."

"But this one is something your suppliers can only dream of," he said seriously. "So, what do you want to do next?"

"I'd like a full rehearsal, timed from beginning to end. If the results are not satisfactory, we'll have to do it again and again, until we get it right."

"Will you need the support team?" Chuck asked, even though he knew the answer.

"No. Their job will simply be to cover us should we have to shoot our way out."

"I thought so. The gear I requested will be arriving before lunch, which leaves us with a lot of time to kill."

"Hey you two," Bryce said as he entered the kitchen and made a beeline for the coffee pot.

"Hi," Sarah said brightly. "Chuck has good news. We'll have everything we need to proceed with the final rehearsals today."

"Fantastic," Bryce enthused. "I'll let Casey know. You know he'll want to see the rehearsals."

"Call him. Where is Morgan?"

"I'm right here, buddy. Let me have some coffee and I'll get started on breakfast."

"How come Morgan is the only one doing the cooking?" Sarah asked, curious.

"First of all, I'm the logistics specialist. And cooking falls under a broad definition of logistics. I have also attended culinary school."

"We have our very own chef," Chuck added.

"Not really, as for the life of me I couldn't flip the shrimp."

"Don't listen to him. We're lucky to have him on the team," Bryce said. He flipped his phone in the air and caught it before stuffing it back inside a pocket. "Casey's informed about today's plans."

"What did he say?"

"He'll be here. He said something about not wanting to miss the show."

"I hope we can entertain your Mr. Casey," Sarah laughed. One of the things she noticed while staying with the CIA team was that they always had one laptop computer on and within reach. It made sense to her. They needed to be in constant contact with Langley. Said laptop suddenly beeped.

"Chuck, do you mind checking it?" Morgan said as he whisked the eggs for the omelets.

"Sure." He sat down and opened the message. "Huh. This is good."

"Is it from Langley?" Bryce asked.

"Yep. Guess what?"

"Tell us," Sarah said impatiently.

"Our villain just used his credit cards to book a flight to Cape Town, a suite in a five-star hotel and make advance reservations for a table for two at a very exclusive restaurant."

"When are they leaving?"

"Today," replied Chuck. "Looks like he's taking the wife on a romantic trip."

"Their anniversary is coming up," Morgan clarified. "You guys would know had you studied the file in depth."

Sarah immediately realized the implications and smiled slyly. "When the cat is away…"

"The cat burglars will play," Chuck finished it for her.

"I almost envy him," she continued. For security reasons they still kept her in the dark as to his identity, but she didn't mind. "It's summer in the southern hemisphere and South Africa has beautiful beaches."

"The place is also teeming with sharks," commented Bryce. "Do you think Mother Nature would do us the favor? It'll be fitting for him to end up as an entrée for a Great White."

"Hold the thought," Chuck told him. "It's wrong, but it could save a lot of legal hassle. Even with solid evidence, getting the Swiss to extradite him to the US is going to be a handful, especially when it comes to disguising the CIA's involvement. Fortunately, lawyers will be handling it."

"While Graham will hopefully give us some vacation time."

"Who?" Sarah looked up suddenly.

"Director of Central Intelligence Graham," Chuck told her.

"Oh." _So, he made Director_, she thought. She schooled her expression so as not to betray her thoughts. "I guess I was out of touch with some current events. Not that I care who gets to be appointed director of the CIA."

They soon finished breakfast. Chuck volunteered to do the washing up and Sarah offered to help. So, he was at the sink, washing the dishes and passing them to Sarah who dried them and put them on their shelves. They were almost done when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Bryce called. He was back in a couple of minutes. "The last of the gear we requested was just delivered."

"Excellent," Sarah said approvingly. "We should test it, too. And soon."

"Is now soon enough for you?"

"It most certainly is."

They gathered twenty meters behind the chalet. Sarah was acting like a little kid at Christmas with the grappling hook launcher.

"Well?"

"It'll do nicely, Morgan," she replied. Lifting the rifle-like launcher to her shoulder, she peered through the sight and pulled the trigger. The hook shot from the barrel in a hiss of compressed air, its prongs still folded as it flew unerringly towards the chimney. It passed through its vents and dropped to the roof. Since it was covered in foam rubber, it made no noise. Sarah then pulled on the line and a few seconds later pressed a button. The spring loaded prongs unfolded and rested firmly against the stone of the chimney.

"Great shot, Sarah."

"Thank you Chuck. As you guys saw, it works. Chuck, can you secure it over there?"

"Sure, why?"

"I want to test the rig. Since you're the heaviest, try holding on to the line without touching the ground. I'll watch the chimney. I think it'll hold together, but we'd better be absolutely certain."

Chuck did as requested and even bounced up and down on the line a couple of times. Everything held firm. "Okay, that's enough, I think. But who will go up to retrieve the hook?"

"Leave it to me," Sarah said.

"Be careful, OK?"

"I'm always careful," she said and climbed a ladder propped up against the edge of the roof. She soon reached the chimney, removed the hook and tossed it and the line to the guys waiting below. Then, she gracefully slid down the roof and dropped lightly on the ground to the applause of the three men.

"Bravo," said Chuck.

"Thank you. Since we still have time to kill, what are we going to do?"

"Just chill until Casey gets here. Then we begin the final rehearsals. If we finish early enough, there might still be time to go ahead with the actual operation."

"Then we must not wear ourselves out rehearsing," Sarah pointed out. "Besides, we overlooked something."

"What?"

"If we are to shoot the hook back, how are we going to get off the roof with the loot?"

"She's got a point," Bryce said.

"Everyone back inside, now," Chuck commanded. "We have planning to do."

They filed back inside the chalet. Morgan went to the kitchen, to prepare some brain food – hot chocolate. The others immediately went to the study.

"Here you go, guys," Morgan said, offering them mugs of hot chocolate. "It'll help you think."

"Thanks buddy," Chuck said. "To recap the situation: we must not leave evidence behind, nor get ourselves stranded on the roof."

"If our guy gets wind that something is wrong he could scoot off to some non extradition country and the mission will have failed," Bryce added.

"I had the same problem on a job once," Sarah said.

"And what did you do?"

"I used a device I like to call the Flying Hoop."

"Please explain."

"As its name implies, it's essentially a hoop made of composite materials with an attached balloon connected to a canister of helium. We hook the line to it, place it around the chimney, and once we're done, we use a remote control to activate the gas and inflate the balloon. It will then fly off the roof and come to us."

"Sounds great, really, but where are we going to get our hands on one?"

"I just happen to have one handy, Chuck."

"I didn't notice anything when we browsed through your gear."

"It's hidden in my luggage." She went to her room and returned with an armful of what could only be parts for the Flying Hoop. She quickly assembled it and proudly displayed it to the three men. "The balloon is big enough to lift a twenty meter line over thirty feet in the air," she said.

"Ingenious," Chuck said admiringly. "It will be a simple matter to reel it in once it's off the roof."

"Disguising the helium canister as hair spray is also a nice touch," Morgan said.

"Fortunately, I have two canisters, and we can use one for the rehearsal."

"No, we better save both for the actual op."

"Well, it's your call."

"Don't get me wrong, we'd rehearse with it, if only we had more of these," he said, hefting one of the helium canisters.

-o-

Casey soon arrived and listened with interest as they explained the revised plan to him. He had to give Sarah kudos for her input. She might be a thief, but she was helping a lot. Afterwards, he went behind the chalet and found a convenient vantage point, where he unfolded a camp chair and sat down, taking a stopwatch from a pocket.

Sarah once again shot the line with spectacular accuracy. She and Chuck then attached their harnesses to it and made their way to the gable roof. From there they entered the study, just like they had done during previous practice runs. Chuck showed Sarah once more how to use his gadget to deal with the electronic lock on the safe. Once it completed the simulation, Sarah allowed some time for the rest of the safe cracking and the recovery of its contents. Exiting the study, heading back to the roof and from there to beyond the fence was child's play for the agent and the thief. As she had suggested, they skipped inflating the hoop recovery balloon, instead as long as that task would normally take to their time, which was quite impressive, as Casey told them when he finally checked the stopwatch.

Morgan made lunch and they all used the opportunity to discuss their performance so far. Every contingency had been considered and plans made accordingly. Casey's phone rang and he immediately answered it.

"Well?"

"Good news, Carmichael. My people told me that the mark just left with his wife for the airport."

"Fantastic. It's still early, so we have all the time in the world to check and prepare our gear. We go in tonight."

"Say exactly when and I'll have my team in position."

"I was thinking about going in around midnight or so, give the house staff time to go to bed."

"Better yet, I suggest we wait until after one or two," Bryce piped up. "If we go in at two, we'll have it wrapped up by two thirty at the latest."

"Huh? We won't spend half an hour in there," Sarah objected.

"I was referring to the entire operation."

"Oh."

"What do you say, Casey?"

"I say we're good to go, Carmichael."

-o-

It was 0130 hours. Chuck, Sarah and Bryce were just inside the treeline behind the mark's chalet. Casey had his team deployed to provide covering fire if needed. Morgan was back at the base, monitoring the communications and the feeds from his team mates' lipstick cameras.

Sarah pulled her mask down to cover her face. "Let's rock and roll," she said.

"Do the honors."

She shouldered the launcher and took careful aim. The grappling hook shot out and flew true, functioning as designed. Chuck secured their end of the line around a sturdy tree trunk. They both clipped their harnesses to the line and soon they were on the roof. There, he helped Sarah remove the hook from the chimney, replacing it with the Flying Hoop, to which the line was secured. He then shot the hook, minus the line, back to where Bryce was waiting to retrieve it.

Just like they had practiced so many times, they stayed clear of the cameras and reached the study window. Working together, they unbolted it from its frame, sliding it out on the rods they replaced the bolts with. Chuck took a couple of connected gas cylinders from his pack, stuck the end of the hose inside and turned the valve. A light mist filled the room, making the laser beams clearly visible.

"Ladies first," he whispered.

She nodded and slipped inside. Avoiding the first beam was like going under a limbo pole. She then knelt and crawled under another beam. To get up again she arched her back, moving her body between two more beams. Once she reached the wall where the massive bookcase stood, it was easier going and she made it to the cabinet without any trouble. Chuck gave her the thumbs up and entered as well. He had fewer beams to avoid in order to reach the massive ornately carved desk. He ducked under it and proceeded to open the computer's side panels. Stealing a glance at Sarah he saw that she was already working on bypassing the electronic lock. By the time he was done replacing the network card in the computer with one of his own design that incorporated a sophisticated bug, Sarah had already disabled the alarm interface and made short work of the electronic lock and was using a lightweight handheld X-ray generator connected to a tablet computer to view the interior works of the safe. It was way better than using a stethoscope or drilling to insert a borescope. This way she could see the tumblers as they fell into place one by one.

"Open sesame," she muttered as an audible click announced that the combination had been found. Chuck stood guard as she opened the safe door and started stuffing everything, cash, jewelry, documents, digital storage media and the like into a large pouch. "Come to Mama," she said as she took a beautiful diamond necklace. And then… "Oh!"

"Sarah, is anything wrong?"

"No. But I recognize this piece. It was stolen from the Iraqi National Museum back in 2003. The sonofabitch must have bought it in the black market. It'll have to be returned." She carefully packed it and stowed it in the pouch with the rest of the loot.

"How much longer, guys?" Bryce queried.

"I'm done," Chuck replied.

"So am I," Sarah added.

"Then let's get outta here."

"Pump out some more gas and let's go."

They retraced their steps back to the window. No alarms rang and no security people burst through the door. The window was bolted back in place and Chuck and Sarah easily made it back to the roof. The pouches containing their haul were sent across first. They followed and finally Sarah activated the balloon of the Flying Hoop. After Bryce reeled it in, they got in the car and drove off, Casey and his team following behind.

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

><p><strong>P.S.:<strong> Rant for LOLs: Every red blooded male wonders WHAT THE HELL WERE THOSE PIXELS IN FRONT OF SARAH DOING? THEY HAD ABSOLUTELY NO BUSINESS BEING THERE!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** So, the incompetent fools writing the show are serious about messing everything up with the 2x4… Well, for what it's worth, I hope he'll meet an end quite like those the East Coast Captain has written for him.

On a happier note, I'd like to yet again say how much I appreciate your support, hence the quick update. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

The mood in the car was positively festive. Chuck, who was driving, reached for the sound system controls and turned on the radio. A local station was playing a rock song. Even Sarah, who had admitted to being mostly ignorant about music and movies, knew it. Everyone started singing.

They had barely finished the last chorus when the car's Bluetooth picked up an incoming call to Chuck's phone.

"Carmichael and Company," he replied cheerfully when he saw the caller ID.

"We do your monkey business at bargain basement prices," Bryce added.

"My people will drop me off at your place, Carmichael," Casey told them. "I wanna take a look at the intel you retrieved."

"Be my guest," Chuck said amicably.

"OK. See you soon."

"Chuck?"

"What is it, Sarah?"

"How are we going to return the artifact to Baghdad?"

"I'll turn it over to the Agency when we get back home. They'll arrange for Customs to deliver it to the Iraqi authorities."

"Smart plan. It'll hide the CIA's involvement. Mine too."

He smiled at her. "So, what did you get for yourself, aside from the necklace?"

"Plenty," she replied. "I found bundles of cash, bearer bonds and more expensive jewelry. I reckon I doubled my earnings."

"Did you count the bonus as well?"

"Of course," she smiled. "I believe I deserve it."

"It will keep you solvent for a while, especially since the company you were working for let you go. Corporate downsizing is a bitch."

"You know about that? What am I saying? You must have checked me out quite thoroughly."

"Kind of, yeah," he admitted. "But you won't have to worry about money for the immediate future."

"Being hired by you turned out to be extremely fortuitous."

"Here we are," Chuck said as he turned into the chalet's driveway. "Home sweet temporary home!"

All got out of the car and hurried inside where it was warm and cozy. Casey followed suit when his men dropped him off. Morgan hurried to the kitchen and made tea, which he reinforced with some excellent brandy.

"Let's see what you got, Carmichael. Nice job, by the way," Casey said.

"Thanks. Sarah deserves a major share of the credit, too."

"Noted." He turned to Sarah. "Congratulations, Walker."

"Thank you."

They cleared the large oak table in the dining room and started arranging the swag. Sarah set the carefully wrapped artifact aside. Every document, flash drive and DVD was handed to Chuck, who took a few minutes to study them together with Casey. Sarah's share was put in a separate pile.

"I think we're done here," Chuck declared. "Mission accomplished and good job all around."

"Um, what do we do with this?" Sarah asked, holding up a small wooden box.

"If it's a jewelry case, you get to keep it."

"We should open it and see what it contains. But there is no latch or lock, even though it's locked."

"Let me take a look." He turned it over carefully in his hands. "I know how to open it. The lid has a combination pad for a Fibonacci sequence. It was popular with spies during the Renaissance."

"Go on, open it," Bryce prodded.

Chuck smiled and began moving the squares in the pad around, until he found the right combination. The lock disengaged with a click. But the moment he opened the lid, a packet of something burst with a loud pop, spraying a fine mist on Chuck and Sarah.

"GAS!" Chuck yelled. All the others immediately covered their mouths and noses and quickly exited the room.

"I'll call for a containment unit," Casey said.

"I'll go get the kit," Morgan added. "Hang in there, guys!"

"Sarah, come on! We gotta wash this off!" He took her hand and led her to the nearest bathroom. Their pants, sweaters, shoes and socks were soon strewn all over the floor. They got into the shower stall and Chuck turned the water on full blast. "It's COLD," he exclaimed. But his training held. He grabbed a bar of soap and handed it to Sarah, taking another for himself. They frantically washed their bodies, hoping to remove as much of the mysterious substance as possible.

"Your hair," she told him and pulled him down to soap up his head. Under any other circumstances, he'd enjoy being with a beautiful woman in the shower, with his nose millimeters from her well endowed chest. But right now he had other priorities.

"Turn around and I'll do your back."

"OK Chuck. Then I'll do yours."

She turned and only then did he realize how velvety smooth her skin was. He had to force himself to concentrate on the task at hand.

"Guys, are you still alive?" Morgan called from outside the door.

"Yes!" Chuck yelled back.

"Can I come in?"

"Come on in."

"I got you these." He was wearing a gas mask and holding up two marker pen-like devices. "It's atropine and obidoxime. Stick them in your thighs and press the button. It will protect you from organophosphates and nerve agents."

"It's strange, but I'm not feeling any symptoms," Chuck remarked.

"Neither am I," Sarah confirmed. "Given the quantity we were exposed to we should be feeling something by now, right?"

"I think so. Hold the drugs for now. Where is Casey?"

"He recalled his team and they're bringing a spectrometer. That way we'll identify the gas."

"It was kind of sweet," Sarah said. "Do you know any chemical agent that tastes like candy?"

"Right now, I can't remember any."

-o-

"Well?" Chuck asked impatiently. He was now in a bathrobe, just like Sarah and they were nervously fingering the counteragent autoinjectors.

"The results are coming out now," Casey said. "Hmmm. Good news. It's absolutely harmless."

"What do you mean by harmless?"

"It's caramel food coloring, Carmichael. The box contained a dye bomb full of it."

"Caramel coloring is an unusual choice for a dye bomb," Morgan said wonderingly.

"There's a note in the box. Apparently the mark wanted to play a prank on a friend. Listen to this: 'Gotcha. Happy Birthday. I hope you find the box a nice addition to your collection.' I must say, he has quite a sense of humor, even though the dye bomb did not work as intended. It should splash you with the caramel instead of spraying it out."

"You'll be fine, guys," Morgan assured his friends.

Both Chuck and Sarah were extremely relieved to learn that they were not in mortal danger. Her reaction to the news was to grab Chuck and plant a big one on him. He was taken by surprise, but he found himself responding almost automatically.

*grunt* (Disgusting, but he's CIA and she's a civilian. I'm not surprised.)

"Um," Sarah stammered after breaking the kiss. "The good news is that we'll both be fine, but this is kind of uncomfortable right now."

"It was completely comfortable on my end," Chuck said with a smug grin. She'd made him uncomfortable over the shower incident in the morning. Now it was his turn.

"I'll go change," she informed them and stomped off to her room. When she came back downstairs, in her pajamas, she found the others still poring over the intel. The friend the box was intended for turned out to be one of the mark's best customers. Finding about him was quite an intelligence coup. She gathered up her share and was about to take it upstairs when a computer beeped.

"Hey Boss," Chuck greeted the man whose image appeared on the screen.

"How did it go?"

"I'm pleased to report that the mission was accomplished without a hitch. Well, maybe just a minor one."

"That's why you're in a bathrobe?"

Chuck quickly gave his boss a rundown on the recovered evidence and the Fibonacci box. "And that's all, Boss."

"Excellent work."

"Do we get a vacation?"

"Don't push your luck."

"C'mon, Boss. The holidays are next week."

"Fine, you can all take a couple of weeks off. Will you need anything else from me?"

"Just the authorization to pay my consultant the rest of her fee, plus the bonus she so richly deserves," Chuck replied.

"Of course. You'll get if first thing in the morning. By the way, who was your consultant? You never referred to her by name so far."

"It's me," Sarah said, coming into the webcam's field of view.

Graham looked at her and a few seconds later his eyes widened with recognition. The duckling he had met years ago was now a beautiful Swan. "Sarah?"

"In the flesh. How are you, Director Graham?"

"I'm fine. How are you, Sarah?"

"I'm doing okay."

"Well, if you regret turning down my last offer, I can make you a new one. Would you like to come and work for the CIA?"

"My answer remains the same: I'm flattered and thanks, but no thanks."

"Too bad. You'd make an excellent operative. But have it your way. At least let me offer you a ride back to the US with Chuck and his crew."

"I'd like that, thank you."

"You are welcome." Then he turned to his subordinates. "I trust you will bring the intel back here and deliver it for analysis."

"Yes sir," they chorused.

"Once you are formally debriefed, consider yourselves on vacation."

"Thanks Boss," the three CIA people said in unison.

The connection was terminated and Chuck got busy making copies of the intel for Casey and the NSA. Morgan and Bryce started packing the gear. Sarah retired to her room. It was late and she wanted to get a good night's sleep before returning to the US in the morning.

-o-

"What are you guys doing?" Sarah asked as she saw Chuck, Morgan and Bryce gather around a table as soon as the pilot turned the fasten seatbelts light off.

"We're about to indulge in one of our little traditions, namely the post-mission poker game," Chuck told her.

"You can join in if you like," Morgan added.

"That's right. You are a member of the team."

"I am?"

"Temporarily, yes. So, are you in?"

"Yes I am." She took a seat. "What are we playing?"

"Usually, we start with straight. We also play Texas Hold 'Em and Five Card Stud, Jokers wild."

"Okay. Who's dealing?"

"I believe it's my turn," Bryce replied. "Morgan, cut the deck."

A few minutes later…

"Call," Sarah said, throwing a chip in the pot.

Chuck grinned. "Read 'em and weep. Straight, in clubs."

"Damn!" Sarah cursed, throwing her cards on the table. She had hoped to bluff him into folding, but he didn't take the bait.

"You'll have better luck next time," Chuck said.

By the time they landed in Washington DC, they were just about where they had started, financially speaking, each having won a few hands and lost others.

"What are you going to do now, Sarah?" Chuck asked as they headed out to get their cars.

"Since I no longer have a legitimate job, I'll go clean out my apartment and head back home. Then I'll probably look for another job."

"Just try and make it your only job, Sarah. Stay on the straight and narrow from now on."

"It's not like I have a choice now that the federal government knows about me." She paused and stuck out her hand. "It was a pleasure working with you, Charles Carmichael."

They shook hands. "The pleasure was all mine, Sarah Walker." He gave her a hug and a peck on the cheek. She looked a little awkward at first, but then she smiled. She also bade goodbye to Bryce and Morgan and they parted ways.

-o-

"I tried to talk them into keeping you, Ms. Walker. But they, in all their wisdom, had almost the entire department canned."

"It's okay, Mr. Munson," Sarah told her former boss as she cleared her desk.

"You're still going to get a letter of reference from the company. I made sure to describe you in the most glowing of terms."

"Prospective employers are going to ask why I was fired if I was such a valuable employee."

"I attributed it purely to the downsizing. Don't worry about it. Besides, someone like you could easily find an even better job. You are way overqualified for our company anyway."

"Still, I liked the traveling."

"I noticed that much. So, where are you going to do now?"

"I'll go back to the West Coast and look for a job there. I'm leaving today."

"Have a good trip, then. You'll be sorely missed here."

"And I'll miss many of the people I met here, Mr. Munson." They shook hands. Sarah picked up the cardboard box with her stuff, carried it downstairs to the parking garage and put it in her car, a Porsche Boxster convertible, with the rest of her meager possessions. Before getting in and driving away, she paused for a moment of thought. Her entire life was in a couple of suitcases and some boxes. She was used to it, but she decided that this had to change someday.

Shrugging, Sarah got in her car and drove off. Her destination was the train station. The car was loaded on a train and she went to the compartment she had booked for the trip to LA. She kicked off her shoes, settled on the bed with a newspaper and her laptop and started browsing the ads for any job opportunities that caught her fancy. Fortunately, the train offered free Wi-Fi, so she could send résumés to potential employers.

-o-

"Chuck!" Ellie Bartowski exclaimed enthusiastically, seeing her little brother coming into the courtyard and heading for his apartment pulling a suitcase along.

"Hey sis," he said brightly. "As you can see, I'm back."

She pulled him in a bear hug. "Welcome home."

"Thanks. Now, if you only let me go, I could leave my stuff inside."

"Oh, OK. By the way, I don't see my chocolates or cuckoo clock anywhere," she said testily.

He laughed and tossed her his car keys. "They're in the car, along with all the other souvenirs I got you and Captain Awesome from Rome and Zurich." He chuckled as he remembered a private phone conversation with his sister's boyfriend. Devon 'Captain Awesome' Woodcomb had called him with a very specific request: a replica of an ancient Roman toga for himself and a matching dress for Ellie. Chuck shuddered momentarily when he thought about exactly why Devon had asked for those. But as he wanted his sister to be happy, and as Devon definitely kept her happy, he had done as asked.

At that moment Devon returned from his run. "I thought I saw your car, Chuckster," he said.

"I'm back, Captain."

"But I saw Ellie diving in your trunk. What if she finds…?"

"No need to worry, Captain. They're in here." He patted his suitcase.

"Awesome. Give me a few minutes to shower and change and I'll be over to pick them up."

"Just don't let Ellie see you."

"Nah, she'll be too busy cooking. Now that you're home, she'll definitely prepare a special dinner. You know how she is."

"Trust me, I do."

Ellie reappeared loaded with the boxes from Rome and Zurich. "I haven't opened most of them, but thank you, little brother," she gushed. "You always get me the best souvenirs!"

"I know how much you like them, sis. And since my job allows me to travel all over the world, it's my pleasure to get them for you."

-o-

Sarah was especially glad that she had booked a sleeper for the trip to LA. She got off the train feeling refreshed and, for the first time in quite a while, relaxed. Her time had been spent productively, too. She had applied for positions with various companies and she expected to be called for interviews soon. Maybe she'd get lucky and find a good job.

It was not rush hour, so Sarah made good time from Union Station to a place she had found online and booked a studio in. The Maison 23 certainly met all her requirements for a residence.

"Hi," she told the receptionist. "I made a reservation for an apartment. My name is Walker."

"Yes, Ms. Walker, I see your reservation here. Welcome to the Maison 23. I'll just need to see some ID and then please sign here."

"Here you go." Sarah took her ID out of her wallet and gave it to the receptionist.

"Everything is in order. This is your key. Your room is 832 on the eighth floor."

"Thank you."

"Enjoy your stay at the Maison 23, Ms. Walker."

Taking her stuff up to the room required two trips. She was just about to unlock the door after the second trip when someone came out of the apartment next door. It was a tall, slim, coppery blond woman.

"New neighbor? Hi, I'm… SARAH?"

"Carina?"

"What are you doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here?"

"Later," Carina said and pulled Sarah into a big hug, tears forming in her eyes. "I missed you, baby sister."

Sarah's eyes were misting over as well. "I missed you too, big sis. So, are you going to tell me what you're doing here?"

"I got transferred to the LA field office. So, I took an apartment here. It's very convenient. What about you?"

"Well, I got canned from my job back east. In fact, they wiped out almost the entire department I was working in. Closed it down outright. Corporate downsizing they call it. Right then I decided that I'd rather come back home and find another job here. Fortunately, the apartments here are reasonably priced, so I can stay here without spending too much of my savings on rent."

"Hold on… You rented your apartment?"

"Of course I did. Is there another way?"

"Sure there is, especially if you are the owners' daughter."

"WHAT?"

"Mom and Dad bought the Maison 23 last fall. He talked her into expanding the business and this was quite an opportunity. Come with me to the front desk. We'll take care of the matter pronto."

"Huh?"

"Just leave your stuff inside. Come on, chop-chop! And when you unpack, shower and change, I'm taking you to Mom and Dad's for dinner. Be warned, I won't take no for an answer. We haven't seen or heard from you for almost two years now."

Sarah smiled. Carina hadn't changed one little bit. "I guess a home cooked meal won't hurt. You don't know how much I missed Mom's cooking… Dad's burgers, too."

"They'll love the surprise we're going to give them. Welcome home, Sarah."

"It sure feels good to be home, Carina."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Let's begin with a reply to Edge's review: Thank you and I really appreciate the comments. I'll shake things up somehow. As to the reusing plot elements from other stories, it's a practice that helps save time and allows me to update faster. I dislike it only as far as it pertains to professional authors, who get paid for what they do.

In this chapter, you'll get the beginning of what you all want. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

"Wait here," Carina told Sarah and knocked on the door of their parents' house.

"Hello Carina," a middle aged blonde woman said. "Don't just stand there, come in." Then she turned and called out to her husband. "Jack, Carina's here!"

"I'll be right down," Jack yelled back. He was at the door to greet his daughter in seconds. "There's my big girl!"

"Dad, I'm not six anymore!"

"But you're still my first daughter. Isn't she, Emma?"

"True," Carina conceded, seeing her parents in total agreement with each other. "I have a surprise for you guys. Call it an early present."

"My curiosity is officially piqued," commented Emma.

"Ta-da!" Carina pulled Sarah in front of her.

"SARAH!" Both her parents were surprised to see their younger daughter.

"Hi guys," she said with a shy smile.

"I love the present," Emma choked out to Carina as she and her husband hugged Sarah.

"So do I," Jack agreed. "Welcome home, baby girl." To Jack, Sarah would always be his baby girl, just like Carina was his big girl.

"How long are you going to stay this time?" Emma, ever the pragmatist, asked.

"Mom, I moved back to LA today."

"What about the job you had back east?"

"Oh, that… Basically, the entire department was liquidated while I was in Rome on business. My boss called me with news of my termination a couple of days after I cinched a deal. So I decided to take a short vacation before coming home, and also took the opportunity to do a little freelance work. And then I came back. I'm still looking for a job, and I have reason to be hopeful."

"You can always come and work with us, sweetie."

"Mom, no offence, but you're not the easiest person for relatives to work with. You are the best Mom, but remember the one time we tried to work together. We made a shambles of everything."

"She's right, honey," Jack said. "You two are way too headstrong and stubborn for your own good."

"You can reminisce about all that later," Carina interrupted impatiently. "I'm starving and the smell coming from the kitchen is not making it any easier for me."

-o-

"You say you did freelance work after being fired," Jack said over dinner.

"It was quite fortunate. Granted, all I did was consulting, but it paid well."

"Who did you work for?"

"Carmichael Industries," Sarah replied without thinking and then almost bit her tongue. Perhaps she shouldn't have mentioned it. Just to be on the safe side, she never would again. She missed the subtle momentary narrowing of her sister's eyes at the mention of the name Carmichael.

"I knew a guy called Carmichael," Carina commented. "But I doubt he had anything to do with any Carmichael Industries."

It was Sarah's turn to look at her sister funny. Could she have worked with Chuck too, before he created his current cover? Knowing Carina, everything was possible. Then her phone rang. "Excuse me, I have to take this. It could be about one of my job applications." She got up from the table and moved some distance from the others. "Hello… speaking… yes, of course… no, the time is just fine… I know the address… I'll be there at ten… thank you."

"Good news?"

"I secured an interview with a locally based computer company. Apparently, the VP herself will do said interview, according to the lady from human resources who just called me, which could mean that maybe I'll get a good position if they hire me. Not bad, considering I submitted the application just three days ago while on the train from DC."

"It does sound like a good omen."

"And luckily, I made the chocolate soufflé you like so much, Sarah. It's almost like I somehow knew you were coming. I can't explain what possessed me to make it otherwise."

"Fantastic. By the way, Carina told me you and Dad bought the Maison 23. How did you manage to go ahead with such an investment?"

"It was simple, actually," her father replied. "The previous owner was ruining the business with his shoddy management, so we were able to get it cheap. Emma reformed and streamlined its operation and now it's turning a handsome profit."

"I got first hand experience of the excellent services it provides now. Not knowing you had bought it, I booked a studio there."

"Room 832," Carina clarified.

"That's right next door to your sister's!" Emma exclaimed, knowing Carina's room was 834.

"Amazing coincidence, right? Anyway, we met there earlier and she immediately took me to see the manager. You can guess what happened there."

"You did very well, Carina," Jack praised her. "We could never take money from our daughters."

-o-

Meanwhile, Chuck was finishing dinner at his sister's apartment, which was right next door to his. Ellie had also invited their parents. Devon got up to get the coffee started, while Ellie was preparing to serve dessert.

"Do you need any help, Devon?"

"I got it, Chuckster."

"You didn't tell me, Chuck," Mary Bartowski said. "How was your last trip to Europe?"

"It was fine," he shrugged, throwing a meaningful look in Devon and Ellie's direction.

Mary smiled and winked conspiratorially. "Bryce did very well on the deal with that French firm."

"That he did, Mom."

"What about the program you were writing?" Stephen Bartowski asked.

"Oh, that. Well, Dad, it's 99% finished. I expect to have it completed soon, certainly before Boxing Day."

"Aces Charles, you're Aces."

"Thanks Dad. But I'll need to proof it first."

"Uh-oh," Ellie muttered.

"What?"

"Do you know how Chuck proofs his games?"

"I never asked," her father admitted.

"He calls Bryce and Morgan to his place and they play them for hours on end. They also consume large quantities of pizza, various snacks, popcorn and soda while they are at it."

"It's better than paying someone to do it for us," Chuck countered. "Besides, I've never seen Mom and Dad complaining about the sales."

"Our software division may be small, with its games department consisting of just Chuck, but it's productive. We can't complain," Mary laughed.

"Stop talking about work and try my mocha hazelnut torte," Ellie said, placing dessert dishes in front of her parents and brother.

-o-

"Mrs. Bartowski will see you now, Ms. Walker," the secretary said.

Sarah rose from her seat and reflexively smoothed her skirt. Since she was going to an important job interview, she was wearing a business suit consisting of a black skirt that came down to just above her knees, a white open necked shirt with a loose silver gray tie and a black jacket. A nice pair of shoes completed the outfit, which Chuck had bought for her in Rome, in preparation for her playing the part of Charles Carmichael's executive assistant. "Thank you," she said and knocked on the door to the Orion company Vice President's office.

"Come in!"

"Good morning, Mrs. Bartowski," Sarah said politely.

"Good morning Ms. Walker. Please, take a seat. Can I offer you anything?"

"Thanks, I'm good."

"Okay. I'll get right to the point. From what I see here, you've had an interesting professional life so far."

"What can I say? I like to travel, and I always try to do my job as best as I can."

"I heard about the downsizing of the last company you worked for. It was stupid of them to let an employee like you go. But their loss is potentially our gain. Let me ask you just this for starters: Did you ever have to hire someone to assist you?"

"No, the department budget did not cover that. I could request assistance from another department though. But I rarely did. Plus, I made a point of keeping abreast of developments in all areas pertinent to my work."

"Good answer. If you come to work for us, you'll be doing a lot of the same, but with a twist."

"I'm listening."

"You won't be merely negotiating contracts. I need someone with diverse experience in the field and you seem to fit the bill. I also spoke to a Mr. Munson, who told me that you are not averse to getting your own hands dirty."

"Seeing such things was reassuring to the customers," Sarah replied modestly.

"No argument there. It must have also endeared you to your coworkers."

"Yes, to an extent it did."

Mary continued the interview for a little while, covering many subjects and getting to know a lot more about the young woman before her than what was already mentioned in the application.

"The rest of your résumé is interesting, too, especially your summer jobs during high school and college," she said finally. "I make a point of looking at them if they are mentioned in job applications, as they tell a great deal about a person. Which one of these jobs did you like best?"

"Serving frozen yogurt at an Orange Orange," Sarah replied without hesitation.

Mary smiled. "Most girls would say that it was their stint at acting."

"It was just a commercial, nothing much."

"Yet it proves to me something about you, Ms. Walker. You are a down to earth girl. And you have the references to prove it. Every former employer of yours speaks very highly of your personality, skills and dedication. I was also impressed when I read that you are fluent in Polish."

"A great aunt on my mother's side of the family was Polish. She taught it to me."

"Such a skill may come in handy, as we are expanding our customer base in Central Europe."

"Does that mean…?"

"Yes. You are hired, for a probationary period at first. Then your performance will be evaluated and if it's found adequate, you'll be given full employee status."

"Thank you," Sarah smiled brightly.

"One more thing; you said you returned to the States from Europe four days ago."

"That is correct."

"Yet your employment was terminated a full two weeks before."

"I needed a short break." It was true. The last job Sarah had done for her company, plus the planning for the Rome heist, had been utterly exhausting. "So I sent all nonessential stuff home by mail and took a few days off. I also happened to be offered a temporary job."

"Did you take it?"

"Yes."

"What was it?"

"My employment contract included a confidentiality clause. Therefore, I am not at liberty to say."

Mary nodded understandingly. "You start tomorrow. Rest assured, you'll get time off for the holidays, as I suspect you've missed your folks, having been out of California for so long. You have family here, right?"

"Yes. And I appreciate it, thank you."

"No problem. We try to keep our people as happy as possible here."

Sarah thanked her new boss again and left. She had a big smile on her face as she went to get her Porsche. Right now, she had some shopping to do, as she needed some things for her new apartment and her new job. _Nothing like a fresh start_, she thought cheerfully.

-o-

Chuck made his way groggily to the bathroom, running a hand over the stubble on his chin and cheeks. After splashing a lot of water on his face, he decided to skip shaving, at least for another day. He had other priorities at the moment: He needed coffee, by the gallon. Fortunately, there was a pot ready in the kitchen, as he discovered upon going there.

"Dude, you look like the morning after," Morgan said concernedly.

"It's nothing coffee can't fix."

Morgan shook his head. "What would you have done without me keeping you supplied with Hot Pockets and shooing you off to bed at four in the morning?"

"Hmmm, I'd probably be passed out on my keyboard," Chuck mused as he gratefully poured a cup of coffee.

"Damn right. You went overboard on the thinking juice last night."

"I told Dad that the game would be finished before Boxing Day, so I had to speed things up. Although… even I didn't expect to be done so soon. I guess I really got into it."

"I know. But I'm not cleaning up your mess."

"Nobody asked you to, buddy. I'll do it, as soon as I start feeling human again."

"By the way, did you really do it?"

"Do what?"

"Finish the game…?"

"Uh, yes, sure I did."

"You did? I wasn't sure I heard you right the first time! This is so awesome! When do we proof it?"

"How about tonight?" Chuck asked, moving to his computer. The area around it was littered with Hot Pocket and candy bar wrappers, plus a couple of empty chardonnay bottles – the thinking juice Morgan had mentioned earlier. He sighed, picked up a trash bag and got started on cleaning up the mess.

"Tonight is okay," Morgan agreed. "I'll call Bryce and then we can set up the testing center."

Ellie happened to be passing by right outside and heard them. "Testing center? You are going to go on a gaming binge again," she said through an open window.

"I finished the game I was writing," Chuck proudly informed her.

"And you look much the worse for wear. Morgan, how much 'thinking juice' did he drink?"

"About a bottle and a half," Morgan replied. "But I made sure he ate well," he added.

"You don't have to worry about me turning into an alcoholic, sis. The juice comes out only when the Piranha wants to play."

"I never understood why you adopted this silly nickname back in Stanford."

"Ellie, I was the best hacker ever. Besides, it's cool."

"Shut up and go get some more sleep. You'll need it if you and the guys are going to spend all night proofing your game. Doctor's orders," Ellie said firmly.

"I'll clean up the place and go on a supply run first. We'll need pizza, burgers, hot dogs and popcorn."

"Bryce and I will take care of the drinks," Morgan volunteered.

"It's settled then," Chuck smiled and went to get his car keys.

-o-

The first day at her new job had been better than she expected, Sarah thought with relief as she closed the door of the studio behind her. Kicking off her shoes, she deposited her grocery bags in the kitchenette and then removed her suit jacket, draping it over a chair. Her new department head had showed her the ropes and afterwards she found it very easy to adjust to the new work environment and job requirements. She put a pot of water to boil for the pasta she wanted to make and poured herself a glass of wine. The sauce was easy to make and she would only have to grate some cheese as well.

"I think I'm going to like my new life," she said aloud and then turned her attention to the sauce. She would check to see if Carina was home when she was done and invite her sister over for dinner.

-o-

Ellie and Devon were leaving for their shift at the hospital. For the past couple of weeks Personnel had somehow been getting it right and not screwing their shifts up. As they went to the courtyard exit, they passed outside Chuck's apartment and Ellie stole a look inside. Her brother was fast asleep, still fully dressed, on his bed, not having bothered to get under the covers.

"Looks like the Chuckster had a rough night," observed Devon.

Ellie snorted in a very unladylike manner. "Rough night my ass. He was playing his new game with Bryce and Morgan. Come here." She dragged Devon to one of Chuck's living room windows and pointed inside. Morgan was snoring away on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. "Bryce is probably in the guest room," she added.

"Still, I think it's awesome. Your brother loves his job and takes pride in his work."

"His games have been critically acclaimed," Ellie admitted.

"Let him and the guys sleep. They need it."

"Okay. But if his place is still a pig sty when we return he's gonna get an earful. I mean, how is he ever going to get himself a girl if he can't act like the grown up man he is?"

"Going into big sister mode again, aren't you babe?"

"It's that obvious, huh?"

"Yeah, but kinda hot at the same time," Devon said and kissed her.

-o-

The blaring music from his alarm clock finally woke Chuck up. He bounded out of bed, roused Morgan and Bryce and together they straightened out the mess in the apartment. His friends left after breakfast and he took a quick shower, shaved and put on a suit. Today he was going to turn in another finished product. He smiled when he remembered the day Graham told him that he knew all about his moonlighting for Orion Computers. His Boss had merely happened to buy a computer game for a nephew of his and was very surprised to see the name Chuck Bartowski as chief developer in the credits. After locking up, he got behind the wheel of his SAAB and drove off towards the imposing Orion building downtown.

He was almost halfway there when he realized that something important was missing: The bulging folder containing the game discs and everything related to it. Cursing his absentmindedness, he turned back towards Echo Park. He would be late delivering the finished product, but only by his own schedule. To everyone else at Orion it would be a nice surprise to receive another finished product from him so soon after the last one.

In the meantime, Sarah was behind her desk at work, carefully reading an email. She needed to prepare a report and this email contained the last information she needed. Her hand toyed with a pen as she mentally crunched some numbers. Her boss was going to like the news. Then her gaze rested on the snow globe paper weight resting on the desk. It was a gift Chuck had given her back in Zurich to memorialize their brief partnership. She wondered what he was doing at that moment. He must have started the vacation Graham had promised him.

"Back to work, Sarah," she muttered to herself and concentrated on finishing the report she was writing. She soon had it done. One last reading to make sure everything was in order and she would send it to Mrs. Bartowski. Less than five minutes later, the report was in Mary Bartowski's inbox. Sarah got up and made her way to the department head's office.

"What is it, Ms. Walker?" Jason Watkins, her immediate superior, asked.

"The report is ready. I sent it to Mrs. Bartowski and forwarded copies to you and Dr. Winterbottom at the Medical Systems Division."

"Very well, Ms. Walker." Watkins' phone rang and he answered it. "Mrs. Bartowski wants to see you now," he told Sarah after hanging up.

"Yes sir."

Chuck finally made it to the Orion building. LA traffic had somehow gotten chaotic in the time it took him to go back to his apartment, find the folder and get back in the car. Still, his mood was too good to let it bother him to any extent. Going inside, he cheerfully greeted the pretty receptionist and the security guards at the front desk and took the executive elevator to the top floor, where his parents' offices were located.

On the way there, several people recognized him and made small talk with him. He was always popular with the Orion employees. Mary's office was right next to Stephen's. Her secretary was nowhere to be seen, however. She must have gone on an errand of some sort. Shrugging, he knocked on his mother's door and entered.

"Hi Mom, I got great news!" Chuck announced cheerfully.

The two women in the office turned to look at him and one of them turned a deathly white in shock.

TO BE CONTINUED

**P.S.: **Now that we know the name of Sarah's mother in the show, I adjusted accordingly.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **As befitting the day, here's a holiday themed chapter. Unfortunately, adding scenes of the festivities at the protagonists' homes would have resulted in an inordinately long chapter – at least by the standards applied to this fic. This admission of guilt aside, enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

Sarah blinked repeatedly, but the image of Chuck was still there. She recovered quickly though. She hadn't been so good at both her day jobs and her secret life by not having acting skills that would do an Academy Award winner proud. Thus, her voice had just the appropriate tone of surprise when she spoke. "Chuck?"

"Sarah?" Chuck was equally surprised to see her there.

"I take it that you two know each other," Mary ventured.

"We met in Europe," Sarah replied, turning to face her employer.

Mary Bartowski was a very perceptive woman. "Tell me something, Sarah. The company you last worked for in Europe, the one you told me you weren't at liberty to talk about due to the confidentiality clause… Would it happen to be Carmichael Industries?"

"Um… yes. You know about it?"

"Mom, Sarah knows all about my other job. Come to think of it, not giving her a letter of reference was a serious omission on my part."

"You should have given her one. I'd have hired her in a heartbeat without even bothering with the interview."

"From what I see you still hired her."

Sarah alternated between looking at mother and son. Obviously, Chuck's career as a CIA agent was no secret to his mother.

"You look confused, dear," Mary told Sarah. "Let me explain something: Carmichael Industries appears as a legitimate outfit. As I said, a letter of reference from him would be a mark of the highest confidence."

"This is a bit much, if you know what I mean, Mrs. Bartowski."

"Of course. Take your time to let it sink in. Chuck, what did you want?"

"I wanted to give you this. I finished the game I was writing and proofed it with Morgan and Bryce last night."

"And…?"

"It's perfect, if I say so myself. The guys agree with this assessment, too."

Mary took the folder in her hands and browsed through the contents for a minute. Then she turned to Sarah. "Now you have your new work assignment, Sarah. You are going to work on the advertising and marketing campaign for this new game. Coordinate with the Software Division on the matter."

"Yes Mrs. Bartowski."

"I'm impressed, Chuck. You told me and Stephen that you'd have it ready by Boxing Day, yet you finished it even earlier."

"Thanks Mom."

"You look tired," Sarah said, noticing the dark circles under Chuck's eyes.

"I had a few late nights," he shrugged.

"Since you're here, you might as well have lunch with your father and me, Chuck. Sarah, you can come along too, if you like."

"I wouldn't want to intrude on your family time."

"Nonsense, we are going to be talking shop and it will be mostly about your new assignment."

"Well, until you and Dad are ready to go, I think that Sarah and I can talk about the game."

"Good thinking, Chuck. Sarah, we're done here."

"Let's go to your office," Chuck said.

"OK. I'll report back to you when I have something, Mrs. Bartowski."

In the elevator, on the way to the Marketing, PR and Advertising Division, Chuck noticed how rigid Sarah's posture was. "You don't have to worry about it, you know."

"Worry about what?"

"I'm not going to kill you for knowing my real name. And I'm not going to tell my parents about your secret and make them fire you either."

"For a moment I thought…"

"No, I didn't believe for a second that you'd join Orion simply to find out ways to overcome the security systems they make. You said you'd find an honest job."

"I had no other choice, remember?"

"Sure. But from what I saw, you are good at what you do here. Mom must have been pleased with your work to put you in charge of the promotion of a new product."

"I've been working here for two days, Chuck."

"Don't you like your new job?"

"I love it."

"My point exactly." They got out of the elevator and he followed her to her spacious cubicle. He smiled when he saw the paperweight as he took a seat.

She got behind the desk and immediately started typing on her computer. "I'm pulling out everything there is in the system about the previous games released by the Software Division," she said by way of explanation. "I need to know the demographic we want to target and calculate potential sales as well as plan an effective pre-release promotion strategy."

"I can already see this game doing even better than the previous ones."

"You can't possibly know that!"

"Yes I can. First, it's my best work so far and, second, I've seen you at work, Sarah. You can make it a runaway hit if you put your mind to it."

"Just let me figure out how to do it first…" Then she spied one of the general duties people, a young man with a Call of Duty t-shirt. She knew it was a game, for she had heard Chuck discussing it repeatedly with Bryce and Morgan. An idea came to her. She stood up and waved to get the young man's attention.

He saw her and came to her cubicle. "How may I help you, Ms. Walker?"

"Do you play computer games?" Sarah asked bluntly.

"Yes ma'am, a lot."

"How do you find out about an impending release?"

"Well, there are several ways to do it. There are the gaming forums on the web, for one."

"Go on," she urged impatiently.

"The companies producing the games also announce future releases on their websites. It's where people pick it up from and then spread the word."

She turned to Chuck. "Do we have a page in our site dedicated to games?"

"It's in the software section."

She browsed the page for a moment. "That won't do. We need a dedicated games page." She scribbled something on a pad, tore off the top sheet and handed it to the runner. "Get this to the webmaster or someone under him. I want a page exclusively for the games we make set up… yesterday. Tell them to put it in the software section, but make sure to include all the games we have released so far in it."

"Now?"

"Hold on, I have a couple more questions. What other ways do you have to find out about new games?"

"Companies also make announcements in their social networking pages. The webmaster is in charge of that as well."

"I'll make screenshots and some teaser trailers," Chuck offered. "We can post those all over the place, Youtube included."

"Looks like I have my work cut out for me," Sarah said and dismissed the runner. "All we discussed up to now won't cost us a cent."

"You could have asked me all those questions, you know, Sarah. I'm a gamer too."

"I didn't forget. But for some reason I had to ask someone younger."

He smiled and just sat there watching her work, until he felt the need to answer a call of nature. "Excuse me, I have to go to the little boys' room."

"I'll be right here, Chuck." As soon as he left, she opened a web browser window and typed something in the search bar. Reading from several websites, she started taking copious notes. She was so deeply absorbed in her task that she didn't notice Chuck's return. He in turn thought that the look of intense concentration on her face was really cute, especially the way she chewed on a swizzle stick. Her desk phone rang, startling her out of her thoughts. She answered it. "It was your mother. Apparently, she managed to pry your father from his computers and they are on their way down. They said to meet them at the lobby."

"The lobby? Not the cafeteria?"

"That's what they said."

"Okie-dokie. Shall we?"

"Gimme a minute to put this place in order and we're off."

Stephen perked up when he saw his son approaching together with the bright young lady his wife had mentioned.

"Hello son. Mary says that you claim you outdid yourself this time."

"I'm happy to say I did. But now I'd like to introduce Ms. Sarah Walker. She'll be in charge of the game's promotion."

"Enchanted," Stephen said, gallantly kissing Sarah's hand. She was suitably impressed. The two Bartowski men shared a lot more than the evident physical resemblance.

"Why aren't we going to the cafeteria, Dad?"

"I cooked the same thing they're offering today for your mother yesterday."

"Okay."

"Besides, I know a place that serves the best burgers in town."

"You asked Morgan."

"I admit it. I called him."

"Morgan knows the best places to find food items for less than ten bucks," Chuck explained to Sarah. "The man has a black belt in dumplings."

"I kind of had that figured out back in Zurich."

"What are you guys not telling me?" Stephen asked. "Mary, did the kids meet before Sarah came to work for us?"

Chuck answered the question. "Sarah was briefly and most productively employed by Carmichael Industries."

"I see," Stephen winked at Sarah. "How good a boss was my son?"

"The best," she replied honestly.

"So, how do you like it here at Orion?"

"I've only been here for a couple of days, but I'm beginning to think that this is going to be the best job I've ever had. I'll certainly never get bored."

They made some more small talk as they walked to a nearby diner. The lunch time rush was just beginning, so they were able to get a booth quickly. They made themselves comfortable and waited for someone to come and take their order.

"Right now, I lack the experience to say anything about the prospects of the game once it's released, but based on sales figures for previous releases we can assume that with a vigorous and aggressive advertising campaign it will turn out to be a success."

"Define vigorous and aggressive, please," Mary said.

"From what I saw the department I'm in was more focused in promoting the hardware the company makes, plus the associated software. The games have been somewhat ignored, even though they do have a lot of potential sales wise. I sent an unofficial memo to the Orion site webmaster, requesting to have them set up a webpage dedicated to the games, which will naturally be forwarded to you for approval. I believe gamers will take a look at earlier releases if their interest is piqued by the latest game. Unfortunately, we don't have the time to effectively market it for the holidays, but if we generate enough buzz about it throughout the gaming community…" She let it hang. The others understood what she meant perfectly.

Right then, a petite brunette came up to their booth. "Hi," she said. "What can I get you?"

Stephen looked at Mary and she nodded. "We'll take two double burgers, with fries and onion rings, plus the barbecue sauce."

"The lady will have a cheeseburger, medium rare with extra pickles. I'll have the same, with extra bacon," Chuck added. "And chocolate shakes all round."

The young waitress quickly jotted it all down. "Your order will be ready in a few."

"You remembered," Sarah said, turning to face Chuck.

"Of course I did. I also remember how you like your pizza: vegetarian, no olives."

"How long did you two work together?" Mary asked, intrigued by the interaction between the two young people.

"Less than a week," Chuck replied.

"But we learned a few things about each other. Living and working under the same roof has such an effect on people," Sarah said.

"What are your holiday plans, Chuck?" Stephen asked. "I think we talked about work enough."

"I'm officially on leave until well after New Year's. My boss gave me an extra week. So, I think I'll be partying for the next few days. In fact, I've been invited, like every year, to the Burbank Buy More holiday party, and of course I'll attend the Orion holiday party as well."

"Buy More?" Sarah queried.

"Chuck worked summers at the Burbank Buy More as a Green Shirt salesperson at first and then in the Nerd Herd," his mother explained.

"My old boss always invites me. What about you, Sarah, any plans?"

"I won't miss the Orion party, but I'll also have to attend another function at my parents' business."

"What business are they in, if you don't mind me asking?" Mary said.

"Mom began with a restaurant that belonged to her parents. Then, with my Dad, they expanded into hotels. They now own the Miller and the Maison 23 as well."

"Whoa, wait!" Mary exclaimed. "You're Emma Walker's daughter?"

"You know her?"

"Mary and your Mom were once honored as businesswomen of the year by the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce," Stephen informed her. "As for me, I met your father that day. He sure can shoot pool."

"That's why you disappeared to after the awards ceremony?"

"Yeah, Jack and I went to a nearby bar for beer, pool and darts. It was getting a little too stuffy for our taste."

They kept up the lighthearted banter until Alex, as her name tag said, brought them their food. The burgers were indeed delicious. Afterwards, they went back to work.

-o-

A couple of days later, Chuck was getting ready for the Buy More party. He and Morgan were invited every year and were unable to attend only once, as they had been on a mission abroad at the time. Ellie found him in his room, trying to decide which shirt to wear.

"Are you getting ready for a date?"

"Not exactly, sis. I mean, I have an engagement planned, but it's not a date. I've been invited to a party."

"Would that be the Buy More party?"

"Ah, you remembered."

"Of course I did. Are you going there alone?"

"Nope. Morgan is coming to pick me up."

"I should have known. Why can't you find a nice girl to date, Chuck? I haven't seen you dating since Hannah and that was years ago. Unless you've suddenly become really good at keeping secrets from me."

"Ellie, I don't have much time for dating lately, especially not now. Mom and Dad gave the green light for the promotion of my new game and this time I want to be kept in the loop. So, which shirt should I wear?"

Later, as Morgan was driving them in his Pacer to the Buy More Plaza, his phone rang. "Aren't you going to answer it, Chuck?"

"I will, if I manage to find it first… Got it! Hello? … Sarah, hi… no, I didn't look into it yet… Thanks for the heads-up... By the way, what are you doing tonight? … You're still at work? … Tell you what, be at the lobby in five minutes. Morgan and I will pick you up. The Buy More party is tonight and you sound like you could use a little bit of fun… I insist. I can do that, you know… OK, see you in five." He turned to Morgan. "We'll need to make a stop."

"I heard, dude. What was that all about?"

"The short version is that my Mom hired Sarah and assigned her the promotion of my new game. You should have seen the look on her face when I visited Mom at the office a couple of days ago."

"She knows you are in reality Chuck Bartowski?"

"Hey, I know even more about her."

They found Sarah waiting just inside the lobby. Chuck got out of the little car and waved. She saw him and hurried to meet them. "Hi guys. Morgan, it's good seeing you again."

"Likewise, Sarah. Chuck, buckle up and let's go."

Sarah's arrival caused quite a stir at the Buy More. True, two or three female employees were quite lovely looking girls and some of the male employees had pretty girlfriends, but it was the first time a true Goddess graced a holiday party with her presence. At one point, while Chuck was getting them some punch, Sarah was talking to some of his former colleagues, namely the store manager and a couple of Herders.

"Sorry about the delay," Chuck said as he approached with two full cups. "There was a line at the punch bowl."

"Thanks Chuck," she said, accepting the big plastic cup. What he'd said about the line caused something to click in her head. The more she surveyed the store and the outside parking lot, the more the idea appealed to her. "Mr. Tucker…"

"It's Big Mike," he corrected her. "Everyone calls me that."

"Well, Big Mike, I was thinking… What would you think if Orion Computers were to host the release event for Chuck's new game in your store?"

"Here? You'd launch a game here?"

"I did a little research on game releases. Apparently, people camp outside stores before the release of the more eagerly awaited games. If we can stir up enough interest in our latest game, the Plaza would be the ideal venue."

"I'm 100% with her, Big Mike. What would it take? I can formally ask Corporate."

"They'd approve in a heartbeat. Such events mean publicity and increased overall sales. You're welcome to host your event here, on one condition."

"Shoot."

"That's precisely what I want to do. You see, we want to film a brand new commercial for the store. Sarah here would be a great addition to the cast."

"What do you think, Sarah? It's your call," Chuck told her.

"I'll do it," she agreed. "This place meets all requirements for a spacious and safe venue. We'd be stupid not to take the opportunity."

"Yeah, and it's not like you lack acting skills and experience."

Big Mike took a good look at her. "You were the girl in a cheeseburger ad a few years ago!"

"Wow, I can't believe people still remember that one after all those years!"

"They do, especially when it whet their appetite. Jeff!"

"You called, Boss?" Jeff was a balding man in his forties. But now he was different than the last time Chuck had seen him.

"Yes, we found the last Herder for the commercial. You can begin assembling the equipment. We shoot on Tuesday."

"I'll get on it, Big Mike."

"What happened to Jeff?" Chuck asked when the old Nerd Herder left.

"Your sister's boyfriend fixed him, Chuck. As it turned out, his behavior was the result of reversible brain damage due to gradual carbon monoxide poisoning. The moment he stopped sleeping in his van, his head cleared."

"I'm impressed. By the way, have you guys seen Morgan anywhere?"

"He was heading for the bathroom the last time I saw him," Sarah replied.

"There's probably a line there, too. For the moment, let's go back to having a good time."

-o-

"Where have you been?" Carina asked when she intercepted her sister outside their rooms.

"I was at a holiday party in Burbank."

"Burbank? Did Mom and Dad throw a party? If so, I must have missed the invitation."

"No, the party was at the Buy More Plaza. My employers' son, whose game I was tasked with promoting, is kind of a guest of honor, from what I gather. He thought I needed a break from work, so he invited me along."

"Go on," Carina urged impatiently. Maybe Sarah had finally decided to act impulsively for a change.

"The place is ideal for the game release event. To cut a long story short, Chuck and I sweet-talked the manager into agreeing to our proposal. All it is going to cost us is my participation in a commercial they'll be filming for the store."

"I meant this Chuck character. How did it go with him? And what's his last name again?"

"Chuck Bartowski is my bosses' son, sis. He's a nice enough guy, but you know I'm not at all into mixing business with pleasure."

"You don't know what you're missing, then. Wait, Bartowski you said? Wasn't it a Mary Bartowski who shared a fancy award with Mom a few years back?"

"The same," Sarah confirmed. "Her husband also played hooky with Dad after the awards were presented and they went to a bar. Needless to say, Mrs. Bartowski looked pretty pissed. Poor Mr. Bartowski will spend the night on the couch, I guess."

"Summing it up, did you have a good time?"

"Yes. I had a great time."

"Will you be seeing your Chuck again?"

"He's not my Chuck. But yes, since we're working together… Plus, there is the Orion holiday party tomorrow and the Walker Enterprises party just before Christmas Eve. I think I'll ask him to accompany me to it."

"I'll get to meet him then."

"Try to keep your paws off of him."

"No promises," Carina purred

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Hello again! This and the following chapter will, like the previous one, be holiday themed, with more action coming in chapter 11. Happy holidays to everyone and the best wishes for a happy and productive 2012. Next update will be on January 2nd. In the meantime, thank you all for your support and encouragement, and enjoy some holiday cheer with our favorite heroes.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9 <strong>

Sarah had plenty of fun at the company party. As she suspected, Stephen Bartowski did look like he'd spent the night on the couch. Mary Bartowski, however, was the perfect hostess. She was delighted to learn about booking the Buy More for the release event, too. Sarah also met Jill Roberts, Bryce's girlfriend. Chuck approached her, holding two glasses of champagne.

"You're awfully quiet tonight," he remarked. "You're supposed to forget about work for a few hours."

"I'm having fun, Chuck. But there is something else bothering me."

"Tell me before my sister sees us together and tries to play matchmaker – again..." He looked around nervously, feeling relieved to see her absorbed in a conversation with Hartley Winterbottom and his daughter Vivian.

"Um, I think I'm overreacting, but it's about the Walker Enterprises holiday party. I need a date for it, and I was considering asking you to accompany me."

"I'd consider it an honor."

"Thanks. But…"

"But?"

"My sister could be a problem."

"Meaning?"

"Aside from not missing the opportunity of hitting on you, she might blow your cover."

"She might what?"

"I told you I might be overreacting, as Carmichael is a common enough name and my sister is not CIA, but more of a glorified narc. She could have met another Carmichael at work."

"Narc? You mean she's DEA?"

"Yes. They work more with Customs, FBI and ATF. So, odds are you two have never met."

"We have undertaken joint operations with the DEA. What's her name?"

"Carina Walker."

All color drained from Chuck's face. "Crap," he muttered.

"So you do know her."

"I know a DEA agent who goes by the name Carina Miller. Tall, slim, coppery blonde…"

"That's her!" For good measure, she took her wallet from her purse and showed him a family photo. "Take a look to confirm."

"We're so screwed," he said morosely.

"I let it slip that I did work for Carmichael Industries, but if she puts two and two together… She'll realize I know about your CIA agent status. And despite her being good at keeping secrets, she may get curious and dig deep enough to find out about my former secret career. And the prospect scares me half to death, Chuck."

"We'll figure out a way around it. At worst, we can tell her I hired you to make Carmichael Enterprises look more legit."

"You think she'll buy it?"

"I don't see a reason why not."

"She's still going to ask a lot of questions, since it will be obvious to her that I know about you."

Bryce was whispering something to Jill and Morgan and then approached Chuck and Sarah. "Mistletoe," he said, holding a sprig above them.

"Now you have to kiss," Jill said.

Chuck and Sarah looked shyly at each other and then kissed – on the cheeks. "Happy now?" Chuck asked Bryce.

"I was expecting a kiss on the lips with a little tongue action for good measure, but this will do."

"Shut up, Bryce. Jill, keep him away from any more booze. You know how he gets when drunk. I don't want to have to fish him out of the fountain, like I did back in Stanford once."

-o-

Chuck agreed to pick Sarah up at her place for the Walker Enterprises party. So, he drove to the Maison 23, making a stop at a florist's on the way. He was humming when he exited the elevator at the eighth floor. Walking to the door of room 832, he knocked.

"Hi Chuck," Sarah said smiling. And she looked stunning in the semiformal long dress she was wearing. Chuck himself was wearing a suit, which made him look real good.

"Hi. You look amazing. And I got these for you." He offered her a bunch of gardenias.

"How did you know? These are my favorite flowers."

"I noticed that you have several plastic gardenias decorating your workspace. I'm a spy, you know."

"They are beautiful. Thank you."

"Look what the cat dragged in," Carina suddenly said from behind them. "Hello Chucky."

"Carina, hi. Nice seeing you again."

"Inside, both of you, now," Carina commanded. "Yes, sis, we know each other. But I'm curious to learn how much you know about him."

"Everything," Sarah replied simply. "About his position with Carmichael Industries, I mean."

"She didn't know about that in Europe. She found out after my Mom hired her. I had to tell her I am working for the government."

"I was shocked to discover that the Mr. Carmichael who hired me as a consultant was in reality Chuck Bartowski. At first I thought he was up to something illegal, but then he showed me his official ID. Naturally, I was sworn to secrecy."

Carina smiled and the others inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. With a little luck, she wouldn't try to dig deeper. Chuck pasted on his charm smile and offered Sarah his arm. "Shall we?"

"By all means. Carina, would you like a ride?"

"No thanks. I'm expecting a courier from the office to pick up some paperwork, so I'll drive to the Miller on my own. Sis, don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Somehow it sounded scary," Chuck admitted in the elevator.

"I agree. She probably meant that we should… y' know…"

"Uh-huh. She did come on to me when we worked together on a mission."

"I'm not surprised," Sarah shrugged. "She'll make a pass on any good looking male when in the mood."

"Let's change the subject: I'm dying to meet your mother. According to my Mom, she's one hell of a lady."

"Just don't mention where our Dads went after our Moms got that award."

"Yeah, Mom did banish Dad to the couch that night. But if your own Dad mentions it…"

"It'll be fun to see how Mom will react," she agreed.

"Can I ask you something personal?"

"Shoot."

"How come Graham made you a job offer? I've been curious about it ever since Zurich."

"Dad and I were living in San Diego for a year, while he worked on some real estate deals. That was before he and Mom bought the Miller. Carina was in college and Mom was traveling back and forth between LA and Europe on business, so Dad took me with him. I did my senior year in high school there. One day, Graham, who was a deputy director back then, showed up and arrested Dad. You see, he thought that some people who had embezzled money from the CIA were trying to launder it through him. They were indeed laundering it, but Dad had no idea. He did give Graham useful information, though. Afterwards, he let Dad go and made me a job offer. I was pissed at him for the way he had treated Dad at first, so I refused to join the CIA."

"And how did you decide to become a thief, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Dad used to be a thief. And a good one, too, since he never got caught. I guess I got a lot more of his genes than I thought. He gave it up when Mom found out. She threatened to leave him and take me and Carina with her."

"Sounds like something out of a novel."

"Tell me about it. Anyway, I thought it might be interesting, trying to be like my Dad. And, like him, I never stole from honest people. Several organized crime syndicates must have a huge bounty on my head by now, but they have no clue as to my identity. Except for you and your friends, no one does. Not even my Dad."

"And then I found you."

"You never told me how."

"It was the job you did in Monaco. I was after a banker with ties to the arms dealer whose chalet we robbed. And I saw you casing your target there. Plus, Bryce and I followed you and saw you on the job. We were impressed, did some digging and decided that you would be an asset to our mission. You know the rest."

"You followed me from Monaco all the way to Rome?"

"It was worth the diversion. You have the consultant's fee and I have the vacation days to prove it. Maybe Mom and Dad could give you some work to do for the Orion Security Systems division."

"Chuck, no! Please don't tell them anything about that! They'll fire me for sure." Sarah had a pleading look in her eyes. She didn't want to lose her new job. She also valued her employers' opinion of her highly.

"No they won't, especially if I vouch for you. Besides, you won't be stuck for ever with what you're doing now. We need people with diverse skills, Sarah."

"Well, now I have to promote your game. Mrs. Bartowski sure seems to have a lot of confidence in me."

"Sarah, she does, but it's also a kind of a test for you. The games represent a minute fraction of Orion Computers' business. If they sell, all is well. If they don't, there is no worthwhile loss. But if you manage to make my game a better success than the previous ones, you'll have a bright future in the company."

-o-

"Guys, I'd like you to meet someone I work with at Orion. Chuck, meet Jack and Emma Walker. Mom, Dad, meet Chuck Bartowski, chief game developer of Orion Computers."

"Bartowski, huh? You do look just like your father."

"Dad mentioned knowing you, sir. It's indeed an honor to meet you."

"Your mother is a great person, too," Emma added. "How does my baby girl get along with her?"

"They get along just great. In fact, she assigned Sarah the promotion of my latest game."

"Speaking of which, someone from Computer Games Magazine called earlier today."

"This is a party, Sarah," Jack reminded his daughter. "You can talk about work later."

"We'll mix business with pleasure," Sarah replied. She was eager to tell Chuck all about the latest developments, but she waited patiently as he made small talk with her parents, who seemed to like him from the get go.

"Okay, now tell me about the call from the magazine," he said when they finally managed to find a quiet spot.

"They're asking about the game. Apparently, one of their regular contributors came across the teaser trailer we posted online. I told them the projected release date and they asked me to let them know, as they want to send someone to cover the event."

"Wow, they must have really liked what they saw."

"I got a call from the Orion site webmaster. The trailer has had several thousand hits since the magazine posted a link to it on their site and their Facebook and Twitter accounts. I also saw the user comments. There is one common denominator."

"What?"

"The viewers – and the magazine – were quite eager to get their hands on a playable demo." She looked around the hotel's ballroom. "Come with me." She led him to the event coordinator's office which had a computer and opened the Youtube page with the trailer. "Take a look."

He read a few of the comments at random and looked up at her. "Your strategy is already bearing fruit." He also looked at the magazine's site.

"Listen to this," Sarah said, pointing to a new entry and started reading aloud. "Based on the response from readers we are getting about this intriguing new game and the comments posted about its teaser trailer, we feel safe in saying that our initial hunch will pan out and it will be one of the most awaited games for 2012. We hope to get further confirmation if and when a playable demo is released."

"You'll get your demo, all right," Chuck said. "I'll send you one by noon tomorrow, Sarah."

"Not to me," she said. "Send it directly to the webmaster's office. They'll post it as a downloadable file on the game's page. I'll tell what to do in advance. Now, let's get back to the party. Mom will be looking for me."

-o-

The following day Chuck waltzed into the office floor where Sarah worked and found her absorbed in something. She acknowledged his presence with a welcoming smile, without taking her eyes off of the computer screen. He sat there and watched her for a couple of minutes, until he decided to break the stalemate.

"You know it's Tuesday, right Sarah?"

"So?"

"They'll be filming the commercial at the Buy More today. And you're starring in it."

"Oh, that. Well, what time did they say they need me there?"

"Now is a good time. I'll even buy you lunch. You deserve a lot more, but it's a start."

"One thing my Mom taught me was to never turn down an offer of a good meal."

"And I happen to know just the place for it. Come on, let's go." He led her down to his car and drove her to the Buy More Plaza, only they didn't go to the electronics store immediately. Instead, he took her to a deli across the parking lot from the Buy More.

"Chuck, long time no see," the petite brunette behind the counter exclaimed.

"Hello Lou. Do we have to take a number, or can you…?"

"Just tell me what you want."

"In that case, we'll take two Chucks."

"Two Chucks?" Sarah echoed. She was curious about it.

"Chuck fixed my computer on his last summer at the Buy More. The least I could do was name a gourmet sandwich after him. You'll love it, trust me."

"It was delicious," Sarah concluded after devouring her Chuck. "I didn't realize I was so hungry, at least not until I took the first bite. Lou, your sandwiches are fantastic. Do you do catering?"

"Occasionally I do, why?"

"Because I know the owners of a luxurious hotel who may sometimes need a subcontractor to provide catering services for important functions."

"Tell them to give me a call some day."

"They will, sooner than you think. We have to be going. It was nice meeting you, Lou."

Chuck was out the door when Lou called out to Sarah. "If you get your chance with Chuck take it, Sarah. Don't blow it like I did once."

"You wanted Chuck?"

"Every girl in the mall had her sights on him. I now have a fiancé, and I love him very much, but back then I regretted letting Chuck get away."

"We're just working together, Lou."

Lou just shook her head and smiled meaningfully. Sarah caught up with Chuck and together they marched to the Buy More.

"There you are," Big Mike greeted them. "You're right on time. Wu, get Ms. Walker to the locker room and help her change. Jeff, what about the cameras?"

"All is in place, Big Mike. Fernando, Lester and the Green Shirts are in position. Skip will be ready in a few. Marvin and the rest of the Herders and Green Shirts are going to handle the customers."

Chuck's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets when Anna returned with Sarah. The two women were quite a contrast, one being short and brunette and the other tall and blonde. Their outfits were identical, consisting of very, very short pleated black skirts, white shirts with the tails tied above their midriffs and exposing quite a bit of cleavage, Nerd Herd name tags and ties, plus high heels.

"Wow…"

"Chuck?"

He managed to regain his composure. "They sure didn't have Herders like you when I used to work here."

"We're wasting time," Big Mike bellowed, before Sarah could reply. "Jeff, get the cameras rolling."

Chuck stood to the side and watched as Jeff ably directed the shoot. The old guy always had an artistic vein, but now, being sober, he did even better. Sarah could have been a great actress, too. The filming was wrapped up in short order and before long Sarah was back in her normal clothes.

"What did you think, Chuck?" Sarah asked him as they were driving back to the office.

"You could have pursued a most successful career in acting."

"Come on, Chuck. It was just a couple of commercials."

"True, but you are a natural. I'm a spy, so I can appreciate good acting," he said as he stopped at a red light.

"Thank you." She reached over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I appreciate the compliment."

"It was not a mere compliment, Sarah. I meant every word. By the way, I sent the demo to the webmaster's team."

"So they informed me. According to them, it was downloaded over five hundred times in the first hour after it was made available. We'll soon be seeing the results. But I'm confident people will love it."

"And you'll have another feather in your cap. I still hope you'll overcome your fear and let me tell Mom and Dad about your potential for work in the Security Systems Division."

"Do we have to go over this again, Chuck? I don't want you to think of me as ungrateful, in fact I know you simply want to do what's best for the company and for me, as it could help my career in Orion along, but somehow I don't think people will be as accepting of the facts as you are."

"You're saying that because you don't know my parents. Mom especially would jump at the chance of having someone with your abilities to help her keep the company at the number one spot. And I can already picture Dad cornering you for lengthy discussions on the technical aspects of improving the design of security systems."

"Okay," she said hesitantly. "But if I end up fired, I expect you to help me find a new job – and stay out of jail."

"Just leave everything to me," he smiled reassuringly.

-o-

"So there you have it, Mrs. Bartowski," Sarah said when she finished her story. "Chuck seems to think that my former secret career can be an asset to Orion."

"I totally agree with him," Mary said. "He was right in talking you into coming clean to us. Since he repeatedly vouched for you, I have no doubt that you didn't even think about trying to obtain information on how to beat our security systems."

"They are unbeatable anyway," Sarah told her.

"Nothing is completely foolproof, Sarah," Stephen spoke for the first time. "But with your help, we can make sure our systems come as close as possible."

"So, I can keep my job?"

"Silly girl," Mary laughed, wrapping an arm around the younger woman's shoulders in a most motherly manner. "Of course you can keep your job. The standing policy here is to leave no rock unturned when doing our recruiting. And you, I must say, are a most promising employee."

Sarah looked up at her and smiled timidly. "Thank you."

"Now tell me, how are things on the game front?"

"May I?" Sarah pointed to the computer on Stephen's desk.

"By all means."

She got up, moved behind the computer and opened the web browser. Finding what she was looking for, she turned the screen so the others could see. "The demo is getting rave reviews and it hasn't been up for a day yet. I checked every site, blog, forum or chat room I could find and everybody is quite enthusiastic and eager for it to be released. Speaking of which, we finalized the deal to hold the release event at the Burbank Buy More. It's the best venue and it's not going to cost us a cent. The manager there was eager to have us use his store."

"How did you manage that?" Mary asked, curious.

"The idea came to me during their holiday party. Chuck dragged me off work and took me there. All I had to do was agree to appear in a commercial for the store, which was filmed today, incidentally. And speaking of parties… my parents are holding a New Year party at the Miller. They told me to invite all of you. You'll receive the formal invitations, but I just had to tell you in person."

"We'll be there, dear," Mary said firmly.

"We won't miss it for the world," Stephen added.

"No sneaking off to shoot pool, mind you," his wife cautioned him.

"Whatever you say, love."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Hello and Happy New Year to all! May 2012 bring you all the happiness you desire and indeed deserve. The update is on schedule as promised and it's a rather longer chapter to celebrate the birthday of Coreymon77, and of yours truly (I'm turning 34 today).

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

"I'm sorry, sir," Sarah said, trying to sound patient. "But the necessary arrangements have already been made. We can't and won't change them."

"Problems?" Chuck asked, plopping down in the chair by her desk.

"Hold on a second please, sir." She covered the mouthpiece and turned to Chuck. "A Mr. Barclay from the Beverly Hills Buy More called to protest our decision to launch the game at the Burbank branch. Frankly, he's a pain in the ass."

"Let me talk to him," Chuck said with a devious smile.

"Mr. Barclay, the chief game developer would like a word with you." She handed the phone to Chuck.

"Barclay, no matter how much you bitch about it, the decision is final."

"Bartowski?"

"In the flesh. It's my game, so I get to say where we'll hold the launch…"

"The Beverly Hills branch is the flagship store!"

"Flagship of my ass, as Big Mike would say. Have a nice day, Barclay." He hung up and smiled at Sarah. "There, the matter is settled for good."

"You know this Barclay character?"

"Unfortunately, yes. He's the Ass Man of the Beverly Hills Buy More."

"He's an ass, all right."

"Ass Man means Assistant Manager, Sarah."

"It's an apt term, because he's still an ass."

"Do you see me arguing? I have to call Big Mike. They're going to have loads of laughs at the Buy More."

"Chuck! Focus! Some of us are trying to get some work done here," she scolded him.

"Okay, fine. What were you saying before Barclay interrupted us?"

"I commissioned the artwork section to make some posters and cardboard cutouts for the promotion campaign. I sent them my suggestions and even drew some on my own."

"Let me see."

She opened a file and vacated her chair so that he could sit on her computer. "They're all there. The last folder contains scans of the drafts I sent to the artists."

He studied them in detail. "They are all fantastic, but why are you showing them to me? Mom should be the one to approve them."

"Really? About you liking them, I mean."

"Sarah, you are a girl of many talents. Apparently, art is one of them."

"Thank you Chuck. And I felt that you, as the game developer, should have a say in the promotional campaign and whatever it entails. Besides, you know better. I'm no gamer, nor have I ever marketed software, so I'm just going with my gut on this one."

"Keep going with your gut, Sarah. You're doing great." He rested a reassuring hand on hers as he spoke. She looked down at their hands and then back in his eyes.

Chuck then went on an errand for his mother. When he returned, he found Sarah sound asleep, her face resting on her computer keyboard. It was a rather uncomfortable position to sleep. He should know, for during his career as a CIA agent he'd slept in the worst places imaginable. And he couldn't let her wake up with a stiff neck and back, not to mention having imprints of the keys on her cheek. So he gently shook her awake.

"Huh, what's going on?"

"You fell asleep at your desk."

"Oh, I had a long night working on those images and some other stuff. I even decided to try my hand at playing the demo. I guess I couldn't keep awake any more." She yawned and stretched with feline grace.

"Go home, Sarah. I'm giving you the rest of the day off." But then he changed his mind. "Scratch that. I wouldn't want you falling asleep at the wheel. Follow me."

Curious, she got up and followed him to the elevators. He pressed the button for the executive floor and once there he led her to an office, which he unlocked.

"What's this place?"

"It's my office. Granted, I'm not here often, but it is quiet and has a comfortable couch bed. No one is going to bother you in here. Try to get a couple of hours' sleep. I'll come back later and we can go have lunch at the cafeteria."

She was too tired to argue, so she just draped her suit jacket over a chair, placed her cell phone on the coffee table and kicked off her shoes. Chuck unfolded the couch, turning it into a bed, took a lightweight blanket from a cabinet and handed it to her.

"Thanks for everything, Chuck."

"I'll be back in a couple of hours," he reminded her.

"Okay." As soon as he left, she took her shirt and skirt off, leaving on the short slip – by Agent Provocateur – she was wearing underneath, got under the blanket and made herself comfortable. She was asleep in seconds. In the meantime, Chuck informed Mr. Watkins that she would be unavailable for the rest of the day.

"I thought I saw you leave your office earlier," his mother said when dropped by her office.

"Uh, yeah, I just left Sarah there. She fell asleep at her desk, so I gave her the rest of the day off, but I wasn't about to let her drive in her condition."

"What happened?"

"She was up most of the night working on her own artwork for the game. I thought you might want to take a look." He tossed her a flash drive and she deftly caught it.

"Looks like we hit a bonanza when I hired her. She's a most talented artist."

"Yes, I was thinking about using one of her pictures for the cover."

"Stephen tells me that the cafeteria has something delicious on the menu today. We can discuss it over lunch."

"I'll bring Sarah along, too. It's her work we'll be talking about, Mom. She has to be right there with us."

"I agree. One more thing; when are you going back to your other job?"

"Technically, I have the week after new year day off as well. But I'll stay in town even after my leave is over, unless Graham calls."

"I'm this close to having a little talk with him. He's been sending you back and forth all over the globe. You need a little rest, Chuck."

"I'm on leave, Mom."

"For a measly three weeks. And even on your vacation you're working, hard. Can't he give you a nice cushy desk job for a while? That's how agents burn out."

"Mom, I appreciate the concern, but I'll be fine."

"By the way, I'm partly to blame for Sarah's exhaustion," Mary confessed. "I asked her to take a look at the plans for a security system installation. It's an important deal and I needed her to see if she could find any weaknesses. She turned in her report first thing in the morning."

"She likes it here, so she's doing her damndest to be as good at her job as possible."

"Personally, I think she's still somewhat afraid subconsciously because we know about her past, Chuck. And she works hard so as not to disappoint us. She doesn't want to betray our trust. Your father and I are counting on you to help make her understand that she has absolutely nothing to worry about."

"I believe I'm doing a fair job in making Sarah feel welcome and comfortable."

"You are," Mary smiled. "Now show me the demo. In addition to being your mother, I am your boss. Therefore, I need to see for myself how good the new product is."

"Hasn't Dad seen it?"

"He has and he had nothing but praise for it. I believe he said something along the lines of not having games like yours when he was young. He's such a Nerd, but it's one more reason to love him so much, son."

"Hold on to your seat, Mom, because you're going to have a short trip on a time machine." He smiled at her slight puzzlement. "You'll feel like you're actually watching live action."

Time flew by as Chuck showed a suitably amazed Mary his crowning achievement in the gaming field. Before they realized it, lunch time came. Stephen entered his wife's office to take her to the cafeteria.

"There you are," he said. Then he noticed them looking at a short screencast from the game. "Aces Charles, you're Aces. Let's go grab a bite at the cafeteria."

"I'll go get Sarah."

"He likes her," Stephen remarked after his son left.

"She likes him, too," Mary replied. "I see them together every day. They've become good friends in a remarkably short time."

"Yeah, they kind of remind me of us. We started as work partners, progressed to being friends and then…"

"And then we made our own family. Seriously, I'd love to see Chuck with a girl like Sarah."

"I have to say it; you and she have a lot in common."

Meanwhile, Chuck practically ran to his office. Sarah was still curled up on the couch bed, sleeping peacefully. He knelt next to her and gently shook her awake.

"Sarah… Sarah, wake up."

"Huh? Chuck? What time is it?"

"It's just past one. Come on, Mom and Dad want to talk to you about your projects."

"Can you please give me a moment to get dressed?"

"I'll be right outside."

-o-

Over lunch at the cafeteria Sarah gave her bosses an in-depth report on the projects she had been assigned. Needless to say, both Stephen and Mary were more than satisfied with her work. And of course the artwork she had submitted herself as well as some from her department was approved. She now had the go-ahead to proceed with a wider advertising campaign. Funds to this end had already been granted by the company owners. She had requested a very modest amount, which she felt would be more than adequate, especially since the Buy More would be emphasizing the pending release of the game in their own commercials. The other project had been successfully completed, too. Sarah had noticed a few weaknesses, not in the security systems proposed for the client, but in his building. The system would be appropriately configured to cover them and the client himself would receive notice from the company.

"Well?" Chuck asked as he walked her to her workspace.

"Everything seems to be just fine. Frankly, I was a little nervous about missing anything about the security system installation."

"Did you try to think like a thief?"

"Actually, yes. And I once again confirmed my opinion on your products. Even if someone managed to get in, the system would activate without delay. Thus, any attempt at breaking in would be doomed before it even got at the planning stage."

"See? You have nothing to worry about. My parents are really fond of you. For an upstart, you're doing a great job."

"I don't want to disappoint them, Chuck… or you, for what the matter. You've all showed a lot of faith in me."

"You do have a Harvard degree, Sarah. That and your experience gained in your various jobs, combined with your admirable dedication practically ensure success here."

She blushed at the deluge of compliments. But before she could reply, her phone rang. "Walker," she answered it. "Mr. Barnes, hello… OK, Jeff. No, but I will as soon as I get the chance… The posters and cutouts were just approved. I'll send some to the store… You'll make your own banners as well? That's great news, Jeff! Thanks and give my regards to everyone."

"What did Jeff want?"

"Ever since we announced on our website that we'll launch the game at the Buy More, people are asking about it all the time. Big Mike wants to know about the actual date. I guess I'll have to lean on the production department and have them speed things up. By the way, how are we going to distribute?"

"The Sales Department will handle the matter. Don't worry your pretty head about it."

"Then I only have to oversee the initial promotion and advertising, right?"

"We need you for the launch event, too. What have you planned for it?"

She smiled. "I figured a few days of exclusive sales at the Buy More will be good before we go for wider distribution. You'd better have the online gaming server ready by then."

"Duh, it's nothing. I asked some friends at the webmaster's to handle it."

"Are you and your parents coming to the Goodbye 2011 party at the Miller?"

"We wouldn't miss it for the world, Sarah. I'll pick you up at your place."

-o-

True to his word, Chuck drove to the Maison 23 the following evening and took the elevator to the eighth floor while carrying a huge pot with a gardenia. He had seen it at a florist's on the way to pick up Sarah and purchased it on a whim.

"Yes?" Sarah answered the door, seeing a potted plant with feet.

"Delivery for Ms. Walker," Chuck replied, changing his voice a little.

"Who is it from?"

He lowered the pot a little, allowing her to see his face. "It's from a friend to a great friend."

"Thank you Chuck," she said beaming. Then she eyed him up and down. He looked fantastic in his tailored tuxedo. "Are your folks coming?"

"They all are. It was very considerate of you to invite Ellie and Devon as well."

"I liked them when we met at the company holiday party. Besides, I thought you'd like to celebrate the arrival of the New Year with all your loved ones present."

"You have no idea."

She turned around to find a place for the gardenia, giving him the chance to admire her outfit. It was a floor length backless red gown, slit along one side, with matching high heeled ankle strap sandals. She was also wearing her hair in a long ponytail and her makeup was expertly done. To be frank, red wasn't really his color, but he was beginning to reconsider.

"Don't mind the mess," she said when she found the perfect spot for her gift. Indeed, her dresser was littered with various bottles, boxes and compacts of cosmetics. She smiled at him. "I broke into Carina's apartment and borrowed some of these."

"Won't she get suspicious?"

"Not as long as she believes that she taught me my lock picking skills," she laughed. "It's Mistress Red, by the way."

He shot her a look of utter puzzlement.

"The lipstick I borrowed from Carina's room. You were kind of staring at my lips."

"I was? Well, it looks good on you. Shall we?"

"Lead the way."

They made it to the Miller just a few minutes after Mary and Stephen. They found their parents talking, Emma glaring at Jack and Stephen. Mary had obviously ratted them out. "Let's go save your Dad," Chuck suggested.

"I think it's too late for that. Mom can really hold a grudge. She'll probably come up with a suitable punishment for Dad's transgression."

Chuck laughed and grabbed two champagne flutes from the tray of a passing waiter. He offered one to Sarah, who accepted it with a smile.

"Hopefully, you can talk her into ameliorating her vengeful intentions."

"Maybe I can. I think I'll play the baby girl card. It always worked when I was little."

Chuck's mind formed an image of a blond little girl in pigtails making puppy dog eyes at her parents. "I'd never doubt that for a second."

"And I have a surprise for you."

"What kind of surprise?"

"Look over there." She jerked her thumb in the direction of a cluster of tables. His eyes followed her pointing thumb and his jaw dropped in surprise when he saw Bryce, Jill, Morgan and a girl he didn't immediately recognize, as her back was turned, sitting at one of the tables. "I know how much family and friends mean to you, Chuck, so I made sure you could have both tonight."

He was rendered speechless, and the only thing he could do was give her a big appreciative hug, which she eagerly accepted and indeed returned.

-o-

"TEN! NINE! EIGHT! SEVEN! SIX! FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Everyone had joined in the countdown. The people in the huge room applauded and cheered as they ushered in 2012. Chuck and Sarah hugged again. Next to them, Bryce and Jill and Morgan and Alex – Chuck and Sarah had by then recognized her as the waitress from the diner – were kissing. When things quieted down, the band started playing again.

"Care to dance, Sarah?"

"Why, I thought you'd never ask, Mr. Carmichael," she replied in a low voice. He took her hand and led her to the dance floor.

"I love this piece. It's the same one as in True Lies."

"Huh?" Sarah asked as he pulled her close.

"It's a movie."

"Oh."

"I'll make sure you watch it some day."

By virtue of his spy training, Chuck knew how to tango. Sarah was an excellent dancer, too. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw his and Sarah's parents dancing as well. At some point Stephen and Jack even switched partners, the former dancing with Emma and the latter with Mary.

"They're enjoying themselves," Sarah remarked. "Maybe Dad's punishment won't be so severe after all."

"Well, it's the New Year, Sarah. Your Mom can be forgiving."

-o-

A while later, most of the guests had left to go home, their parents and friends included. Chuck and Sarah were two of the very few people left. And during the party they'd both drunk more than usual, being quite tipsy as a result.

"The others were smart to take cabs to get here," Sarah slurred.

"Uh-huh. I don't think Graham would be terribly pleased to have to get me off a DUI rap, assuming I don't crash the car first."

"We can crash here," Sarah said in a flash of inspiration.

"Here-here? Sarah, this is a five star hotel and it's probably booked solid."

"I happen to know something you don't," she smiled drunkenly, took his hand and dragged him to the front desk. After a quick talk with the receptionist, she triumphantly brandished a key card in front of his face. "Mom and Dad always keep a room available should any friends or relatives come to visit. We can sleep in there. Plus, the champagne we serve here is excellent, so at worst we'll have very mild hangovers."

It made sense to him, so he stood back and let her lead the way. The room was a typical room for the hotel, elegant and comfortably furnished. They took turns at the bathroom and started getting ready for bed. Chuck took off his jacket, tie, shirt, shoes, socks and pants, hanging them neatly in the closet. Behind him, Sarah had just untied the halter of her dress when she realized something.

"Um, Chuck?"

"Yes?"

"We may have a little problem here."

"Problem? What kind of a problem? Is it about the single bed? Because I can sleep on the floor and you can have it all to yourself."

"Don't be stupid, Chuck. The bed is big enough for the both of us. The problem is sleepwear. I just remembered that I am not wearing a bra. And I can't very well sleep in my dress."

As a CIA agent, Chuck was accustomed to making snap decisions. He took his t-shirt off and held it behind him for her to take. "You can put this on," he told her. "It's clean."

"Thanks." She took it from his hand, noting with satisfaction that he wasn't looking. He'd seen the goods before, but it had been purely accidental. And now he was being his usual decent, considerate self. Stepping out of the dress, she pulled the t-shirt on. She found it very comfortable. "Okay, you can turn around, Chuck."

He got in bed as she hung the dress in the closet. Being a man, he couldn't help but admire her shapely body in his t-shirt and a pair of lacy boy shorts. "Goodnight Sarah."

She got under the covers next to him. "Goodnight Chuck."

They were both fast asleep in a remarkably short time, keeping to their own sides of the bed. But as they slept, they gravitated towards each other, ending up cuddled together. Their dreams might have had a little to do with it. Even when changing positions in their sleep, they did it in total harmony, not disturbing each other in the slightest. By late morning, they were spooned together, Sarah's back pressing on Chuck's chest, and holding hands. At eleven thirty, the sunlight coming into the room through a gap in the drapes played on their faces, causing them to wake up.

Chuck, his eyes still closed, caressed her knuckles, liking the feel of her smooth skin under his fingers. She made a contented little noise and laced her fingers with his. Realizing where they were and what was going on, both opened their eyes and looked at each other. Then it happened. They kissed again. Only this time the kiss was not fueled by desperation, but intense, white hot burning desire. When their lips separated, they were panting heavily. Having barely caught their breath, they kissed yet again.

"Chuck," Sarah panted as his mouth moved from her lips down to her neck and nipped at her pulse joint.

"Yes?"

"We… if… we go… all the way… oh, don't stop… yes, right there… protection…"

"My wallet… nightstand…"

"Got it… found one! Hooray!"

"Just one?" Chuck's head shot up. "There should be two!"

"Well, there is only one and a note."

"A note?"

"See for yourself."

"Hmmm…" The note was written on hotel stationery. 'IOU one condom. Your pal, Morgan,' it read. "I'm gonna kill Morgan!"

"He filched your condom?"

"He must have gotten lucky last night. But the fact remains that we now only have one condom."

"Then I guess we'll have to make it count. Are you game, Mr. Bartowski?"

"Do your worst, Ms. Walker!" Chuck said, accepting the challenge.

"Are you sure you can take what I can dish out?"

"Whatever you dish out I can return fivefold, maybe tenfold."

"Cocky, aren't you, Chuck Bartowski? Let's see if you walk the walk as good as you talk the talk."

"You're so on, Sarah Walker!"

The conversation quickly died down and was replaced by a cacophony of moans, grunts and screams of pleasure. Fortunately, the soundproofing of the hotel was excellent. Not even the guests next door had any idea of what was going on in Chuck and Sarah's room. Afterwards, Chuck lay on his back, hands clasped behind his head, the goofiest of goofy grins on his face as he stared at a point on the ceiling. Sarah was holding on to him like she used to hold her teddy bear as a child, eyes closed and an angelic smile on her face. They had made this one go count.

"A dollar for your thoughts," Chuck said suddenly, when he noticed her looking at him.

"I thought it was a penny."

"Inflation," he shrugged.

"I see."

"Well?"

"Well, I like you, Chuck. But I made that abundantly clear."

"I like you too, Sarah."

-o-

Chuck dropped Sarah off at the Maison 23 and drove back to his apartment. He parked the car and strutted to the courtyard like a prized peacock. Hearing voices from his sister's apartment, he tried to reach the open window of his room as furtively as possible, but to no avail.

"Someone's doing the walk of shame," Ellie said, with laughter in her eyes.

"Looks like it, El," Devon agreed. "Did you score last night, bro?"

"Where did you disappear to last night, guys? I might have needed a lift home, as I couldn't drive. I had a little bit too much to drink. So, I stayed at the hotel and slept it off. As for the other thing you asked about, even if I did, gentlemen don't kiss and tell. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go change."

"I can smell a woman's perfume on him from here," Ellie whispered to Devon as Chuck disappeared inside his apartment.

"Yes, I caught a whiff, too. He did get lucky, it seems. I wonder with whom."

"My money is on the blonde we saw him with at the party. Mom told me she works at the company."

"Nothing like a little office romance to start the year with," Devon chuckled.

Ellie elbowed him on the ribs. "Men," she huffed.

"No, seriously, hon. If it works for them…"

She thought about it for a second. "You're right," she conceded.

Sarah also tried to avoid her sister as she made her way to her room, but to no avail. Carina ambushed her just as she was unlocking the door.

"Doing the walk of shame, are we, baby sis?"

"I was drunk and decided to sleep it off at the hotel," she replied as nonchalantly as she could.

"Didn't Chuckles drive you there?"

"Yes, so?"

"He just left you at the Miller? Wait, you two… You did it!"

"No we didn't."

"Stop lying to me, sis. I can tell. Besides, the hickey on your neck is a dead giveaway."

"Hickey?" Sarah's hand flew to her neck and rubbed a spot.

"You successfully defended the reputation of the Walker Girls. I failed, but you did manage to get him between the sheets. Congratulations."

Sarah actually laughed. "Thank you – I think."

"But now I want details. Tell me everything, and I mean everything."

"Dream on. Some things are private, you know."

A quick shower later, Sarah was sitting on her bed in a t-shirt and basketball shorts, with her laptop computer open, looking at her emails. As it was New Year's Day, she decided to abstain from work. At some point she found her mind wandering to Chuck. Was what they'd done this morning going to remain a one-night, or rather one-morning stand, or would there be more? She would be fine with the former, she told herself, but somehow she knew that the latter would be infinitely more preferable.

In his room, Chuck was fingering his phone. Should he call Sarah so soon after dropping her off at home? She said she liked him and he liked her back, but were they in a relationship now, or was it just satisfying urges? Only time would tell. He only hoped that it wouldn't adversely affect their friendship, but he was confident it was strong enough already. He resolved to call her the following day and ask her out to dinner. Maybe he'd get the answers he needed. And he was quite hopeful. After all, he'd been attracted to her almost from the moment he met her in Rome.

What he didn't know, was that Sarah herself had also felt a similar attraction, despite having been blackmailed into working with him and his team. He'd more than made it up to her, anyway.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** I know I promised that the action would start in this chapter, but in the end I preferred to delay it and lay some groundwork for it.

Once again, thank you all for the encouragement and the wishes for my birthday last week.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

"Good morning, Mrs. B," Sarah said, calling Mary by the name she knew the older woman liked. "Is Chuck with you? I can't get hold of him."

"No, Sarah, he's not. He asked for the day off, in fact."

"Then why isn't he answering his phone? Could it be that…?"

"He would have told Stephen and me. Trust me, he's not going anywhere."

"Okay, but where is he? I have like a million questions to ask him, as he's the game developer!"

"Try calling his sister. She's not at work today, so she may be able to help you find him."

"I will. Thank you Mrs. B." Sarah hung up and immediately dialed Ellie's home number.

"Hello."

"Ellie? Sarah Walker here." Sarah had talked to Chuck's sister at the party and knew she disliked to be called Ms. Bartowski by those she considered friends, and Sarah was definitely in that category as far as Ellie was concerned.

"Oh, hi Sarah. How are you doing?"

"Lousy. I have to refer an urgent matter to Chuck, but he's not answering his phone."

"Hold on for a sec." Ellie went next door to Chuck's and spotted his phone left on the bed, recharging. "He's not at home, but his cell phone is on the charger. Do you want me to tell him to call you when he gets back?"

"No need to, I'm coming down there. I have a stack of papers for him to sign, plus a lot of other stuff I need him to look at."

"Drop by my place, in case he's not back when you get here."

"OK. See you soon, Ellie." Sarah gathered a stack of papers and stuffed them in her briefcase before going to Mr. Watkins' office and telling him that she had to go out on business. When she reached her Porsche, she got behind the wheel and loosened her tie. She had chosen to wear a pantsuit with a buttoned up dress shirt and a tie, the combination being mostly intended to hide the hickey on her neck.

"Sarah! Over here!" Ellie called when she spotted the blonde in the courtyard.

"Is Chuck home yet?"

"Not yet. You can sit with me and wait for him though. Would you like some coffee?"

"Coffee sounds just about great, thank you." Sarah followed Ellie into the doctor's apartment.

"It's great having the day off from the hospital," Ellie said as she poured Sarah a mug of coffee. "Before New Year's Eve, my schedule was rather chaotic."

"I can relate to that. My last job, before I came to work for Orion, was just as tiring."

"And do you know the most infuriating thing? Devon's schedule is rarely as screwed up."

"Is that so?"

"Yes! I mean, all I want is to be able to spend time with Devon, but with us getting different shifts and all…"

"You'd better look into the matter, Ellie."

"Why, what do you mean?"

"Let's face it, Devon is the personification of an ideal male specimen."

"He has his faults."

"Everyone does. In this case, however, your shift screw-ups are probably due to some girl in personnel at the hospital liking him a little too much, if you know what I mean."

"I'll find her and rip her hair out! No, scratch that! I'll run her through the X-ray machines until she gets a new job as a glow stick!"

"Ellie, I was kidding."

"No, it actually makes sense. And I know the skank responsible. She'll learn the hard way that you don't mess with me and expect to get away with it."

"Just try to be subtle about it, okay? I don't think the overpaid corporate attorneys at Orion do criminal cases."

Ellie laughed. "Maybe I'll just settle for telling her, in no uncertain terms, that Devon is taken." Then she thought for a moment. "Maybe I'll drop some hints about another doctor I know, who happens to be single. They'll definitely be a match made in Hell."

"Now that's a fitting punishment."

The discussion then moved to other subjects, fashion being one of them. Ellie confessed being somewhat jealous of Sarah, as the latter got to wear whatever stylish outfit she wanted, while the former was limited to scrubs and a white coat at work. They were still chatting and missed Chuck's entrance into the courtyard. They only realized he'd come back when they heard music blaring from the stereo system in his apartment.

"I guess that's my cue to go back to work," Sarah said. "Thanks for the coffee, Ellie."

"I should be thanking you for the company, Sarah."

"You're welcome, then."

"Chuck is very lucky to be working with someone like you. Just make sure you have time for play, too."

"Excuse me?"

"You know what I mean," Ellie smiled conspiratorially. Sarah's blush confirmed her suspicions. She had indeed smelled Sarah's perfume on Chuck yesterday morning. "And no, he didn't brag. I just smelled your perfume on him when he came back from the party."

"Um, this is kind of awkward right now, Ellie. I mean…"

"You have nothing to be embarrassed about. I overheard Mom telling Dad that you and Chuck make a nice couple and I wholeheartedly agree. So what if you work together? It was the job that brought you to each other. Besides, I always hoped he'd meet a girl like you."

Sarah's blush deepened, this time at the compliments. "I have to go," she stammered. _Very smooth, Walker_, she scolded herself as she walked to Chuck's and knocked. She waited, but Chuck didn't come to answer the door.

"He can't hear you," Ellie called from her living room window. "Go in through the Morgan Door."

"The what?"

"His bedroom window," Ellie explained.

"I guess it is so named because it's Morgan's preferred method of entry," Sarah ventured.

"Yes, it has been at the time when Chuck, Devon and I shared the apartment, before ours was ready."

"Well, I'll take your advice." Feeling just a little silly, Sarah entered Chuck's place. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the Tron poster, the computer and the extensive graphic novel, music – both CD and vinyl – and movie collections. She chuckled when she spotted a post-it note pasted on the computer, which read 'I'M A PROFESSIONAL NERD'. The bed was unmade, but in general the room had just about the right tidiness/sloppiness ratio. "Chuck!" No reply. "Chuck, I'm here!" Was the music too loud for him to hear her? Definitely not. He must be in a room with a closed door. They ran into each other in the hallway. In fact, they collided as she exited his room.

Chuck recovered from the surprise and took a fighting stance, before recognizing her. "Sarah, what are you doing here?"

"I brought work," she replied, patting her briefcase.

"Oh. I'm kinda busy now, but go ahead and make yourself comfortable." He showed her to the study. "The computer is networked to the Orion mainframe, so if you need anything… Just let me turn it on and activate the connection."

"Thanks. What are you doing, anyway?"

"It's housekeeping day," he informed her. "But I'm almost done here, so can I offer you anything while you wait?"

"No thanks. Ellie and I had coffee next door while waiting for you. And she knows we slept together." The last part was said hesitantly.

"She's pretty sharp. Besides, the scent of your perfume on me was hard to miss."

"As was the hickey you gave me. Carina saw it and she too knows we slept together." She gave him a small smile and logged in to check her emails. He hurried through the remaining tasks and soon the place was squared away.

"That was fast," she commented when he rejoined her in the study.

"Like I said, I was almost done. Now show me what you got."

"I brought some papers you need to sign, plus some more suggestions regarding the game's promotion." She took the folders out of the briefcase and handed them over.

Chuck quickly read through the documents and signed them. Then they had a long discussion on the advertising campaign, which was progressing nicely. Sarah also had some figures Big Mike had sent her from the Buy More. Many people were preordering the game, which was fantastic news.

"Big Mike will have a separate desk where those who preordered can pick up their copies of the game," she finally said. "He thinks the flow of shopper traffic will be smoother inside the store that way. He'll have everyone on the sales floor, so he won't need reinforcements from us. All he asked for was to make sure we keep them supplied. He doesn't want the store to run out of games and leave customers hanging."

"I trust you'll handle it."

"I will. Now that we've covered everything, I should get going. Mr. Watkins knows I'm out on company business, but he may need me there."

"Nonsense, he would have called if he needed anything from you. Besides, it's almost five."

"Already?"

"Yes, we really got into it. I'm not complaining though. We covered a lot of ground. Tell you what, I'll call Watkins and have him clock you out." He picked up the phone and settled the matter in a couple of minutes. "He was happy to learn of the progress we made today," he told Sarah after hanging up. "And now you're free to stay for dinner. I was planning to ask you out today, but you showed up and we got caught up in work. Still, I can cook for you."

"You cook?"

"It's a small part of my skill set. Do you like chicken pepperoni? Or I could make the chicken with balsamic glaze, like my Dad taught me."

"Chicken pepperoni will be fine. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You're the guest. Sit back, relax and enjoy the display of my culinary prowess."

"At least let me go get us some wine. Your wine rack is empty."

"Yeah, I kinda emptied it a few days ago, while putting the finishing touches on the game."

"What kind of wine do you prefer?"

"I have taken a liking to chardonnay as my thinking juice, but I won't say no to a good cabernet."

"Chardonnay goes well with chicken. I'll get us some."

"Okie-dokie. Don't be long."

"I'll be right back." On the way to the nearest liquor store, Sarah called her mother and asked her which chardonnay to buy. Being a restaurateur among other things, Emma knew all about wine and food pairings.

-o-

"What's that?" Chuck asked when Sarah returned, pointing to a bag she was carrying.

She smiled. "I dropped by my parents place on the way back here. Mom gave me a chocolate soufflé to bake for dessert. You're gonna love it."

"I have no doubt I will." He took the bags from her, moved to the table and pulled a chair out for Sarah. "Take a seat. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

"It smells good. I didn't realize until now how hungry I am."

"That's odd. The cafeteria at the office provides very filling and delicious meals."

"Well, I skipped lunch. I was too busy."

"Never skip lunch again. I'm giving you a direct order."

"You're not my boss, Chuck."

"No, but my parents are. All it will take is one phone call and they'll be on your case immediately. We can't have one of our best people passing out from hunger in the office just because she got too caught up in work to remember to eat something."

Sarah decided it was best to concede defeat. "Have it your way."

The timer on the oven pinged, indicating that the chicken was ready. She watched as he took it out of the oven, garnished and served it. The appetizer, the main course and the side dishes were all delicious and the presentation wasn't bad either.

"Dinner was amazing, Chuck. Thank you."

"It's not often that I have to entertain someone special, so I am pulling out all stops tonight. Next item on the agenda is the movie."

"Movie?" Sarah echoed.

"The perfect evening requires a movie showing on my amazing Great Nebula home theater system."

"Orion makes TVs?"

"You didn't know? Well, Dad designed this amazing computer monitor, so I suggested we market it as a high-def TV as well. I implemented the necessary changes and the rest, as they say, is history."

"Then why do you still work for the CIA when you can have a fulfilling career at Orion? I'm getting the idea that you thoroughly enjoy creating games and designing hardware."

"Good question, Sarah. And there is no easy answer to it. Granted, I signed up for a five year term and it expires soon, but I may renew my contract. Hell, I don't know what I'm gonna do. I am a professional nerd, yes, but on the other hand I like serving the greater good."

"Chuck, I didn't mean to upset you," Sarah said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Who's upset? Just wait until I clear the dishes and then we can make popcorn and pop the movie in the player."

"Let me help."

"You're the guest," he reminded her. "Plus, you also brought this heavenly soufflé. Speaking of which, could you ask your Mom for the recipe?"

"I'm sure we can work something out."

"Goody. And now, just like I promised you a few days ago, we'll enjoy True Lies, a movie very special to me." He didn't have to be asked to explain. "I drew parallels between it and my own life, especially when Ellie found out about my other job. Let me tell you, she wasn't pleased to have been kept in the dark. Eventually she accepted it, but at first she was really mad at me."

"She must worry about you every time you go on missions."

"She does, but she knows I'm like the proverbial bad penny. Plus I bring her and Devon the best souvenirs."

"You're the lucky one. If Carina or my parents ever find out about what I used to do… it won't be pretty. Dad will be even angrier than Mom or Carina, too. He never wanted this kind of life for me."

"Okay, enough with the serious discussion. It's time to continue with the fun. And like I said, we need popcorn." He brandished a bag of kernels.

"You don't like the microwave variety, I take it."

"Nope. I prefer them fresh. I even bought an in-home maker from the Buy More."

"So do I! Mom has like a million and one ways to make popcorn. When Carina and I were little, she'd often pop some for us while we were watching cartoons."

"Morgan and I used to do the exact same thing. Can you grab some soda from the fridge?"

"Not grape soda, I hope."

"You may find some in there, but it's Morgan's stash. I'm more conventional in my preferences."

"I beg to differ," she said, holding up a glass bottle. "This is hardly your usual soda."

"Ah, this," Chuck smiled. "It's Biral."

"Is it like a beer cocktail?"

"No. It's a cola-like drink, made from the fruit of the carob tree. It's very popular in Greece, especially on the island of Crete, where it's made. I tried it for the first time while on leave after a mission in the Middle East and I was hooked instantly. Try it."

"For your sake, I hope it's not something one has to acquire a taste for."

"If you like cola, you'll love it," he assured her. Within minutes, having a generous supply of popcorn and soft drinks, Chuck and Sarah settled on the couch to watch the antics of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis.

"I had an awesome evening, Chuck," Sarah said when he turned the TV off. "But I bet we can have an even greater time."

He was in total sync with her. Pulling her close, he gave her a kiss that curled her toes. "I couldn't agree more."

"At least I won't be doing the walk of shame in the morning. I picked up my suits from the dry cleaners' on the way here."

Chuck just picked her up and carried her to his room. They were kissing all the way there.

-o-

In the morning, Ellie got up and roused Devon from his slumber. Together, they showered, made breakfast and enjoyed it while watching the morning news. After tidying up the kitchen, they left for the hospital where they worked. And then Ellie covered her mouth with a hand to muffle a joyous squeal.

"What is it, babe?" Devon asked.

"Look!" She gleefully pointed to the Morgan Door. Clearly visible inside the room were two bodies in bed under the covers. The head of one had an unruly chocolate mop, while the other had a flowing blond halo.

"Way to go, Chuckster," Devon said admiringly.

"I'm seeing it with my own two eyes! Chuck really found himself a girl! I knew it since yesterday, but now I have more proof."

"It could be casual, you know."

Ellie shot him her death glare. "You didn't see how her eyes sparkled every time he was mentioned. Besides, you know my brother isn't exactly the one night stand type."

"Whatever you say, El. Come on, let's go to work."

-o-

Three men were gathered in an upscale café in downtown Washington DC. All wore crisp suits and carried expensive briefcases. To the casual observer they looked just like any other business executives. The oldest of the three spoke first.

"Did you find anything?" The question was addressed to the youngest man.

"I managed to get my hands on Carmichael's report. He never mentioned the consultant he hired for the Zurich job by name. I also checked any travel arrangements he might have made for said consultant. I got zip. Payments for services rendered were made in cash, by Carmichael himself. We have no money trail to follow."

"Dammit Shaw," the third man growled. "We need to find out who this person is."

"I know what's at stake, Ryker," Shaw replied irritably.

"Whoever it is, the fact remains that the item he or she stole in Rome can lead the CIA straight to our own private venture."

"We don't even know if it's the same person!"

"Shaw, Carmichael made the detour to Rome for a reason and I don't think it was sightseeing."

"I concede the point, Decker. But we still have nothing to go on with. Graham himself may be in the dark as to the consultant's identity."

"Thieves usually dispose of such valuable items through high end fences. I'll have my contacts on the lookout for anyone who tries to sell it."

"What if it's sold?"

"Then we'll buy or steal it back. I don't think the thief would bother to look for a hidden compartment in it. Our secret may be safe."

"If we're lucky. And I don't believe in luck."

"That's because you don't have half the experience Kieran here and I do. If you had it, you'd know luck sometimes plays a part in our business."

"Clyde's right, kid," Ryker said, knowing how much it would irritate Decker if he used his partner's given name. "Find out who Carmichael hired, tell us and we'll come up with a plan to learn what happened to the item. And make sure your wife doesn't catch on to anything."

"If she does, I'll just kill her," Shaw shrugged.

"A marriage on the rocks," Decker commented dryly.

"Nah, she's probably giving him a hard time and not the happy kind of hard," Ryker laughed. "To be fair, keeping a leash on today's women is all the more difficult."

"Why don't you get your sidekick, what's his name… Perry? Yes, Perry. He can take her out while you have a rock solid alibi."

"You know, I might do just that."

-o-

Chuck and Sarah were completely oblivious to the storm brewing on the East Coast. Right now, they were in the shower, trying to milk their time together for all it was worth. Later, Sarah was dressed in a clean suit and left for work. Chuck had a little shopping to do first, but promised to meet her at the office for lunch.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **Hello again! Sorry for the delay in updating, but I was rather busy in the past week. Hopefully, this was worth the wait. I'd hate to disappoint you, considering all the support you keep giving me.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

Chuck woke up and the first thing he did was to glance at the alarm clock. It was still early, so he was happy at not having to rouse the woman spooned up against him. Said woman, of course, was none other than Sarah. Over the last ten days they had spent every night together, either in his or in her bed. Right now they were in her room at the Maison 23. Raising his head a little, he saw the happy smile on her face. She was obviously having a very nice dream and he only hoped he was in it. Maybe it was selfish, but he wanted to be right there with her, both in her conscious and her subconscious mind. He must have drifted off again at some point, because the next thing he knew was the alarm clock telling them to get up and start their day.

"Good morning beautiful," he told her when she opened her eyes and sent a tennis ball smack dab on the stop button of the alarm clock. It was her preferred method of turning it off without getting up – and the least destructive, too.

"I had a dream," she murmured, turning into him and nuzzling her face against the crook of his neck. "We were floating on a lily pad and a bunch of angels dressed as nerds were reciting positive reviews of your game and reading glowing sales reports."

"Really, Sarah? You dream about work?"

"It was mostly about how we congratulated each other on the success," she replied slyly, giving him a meaningful wink.

"You just gave me an idea."

"Tell me," she urged.

"When I create my next game, one of the lead characters will be based on you."

"I'm flattered, but based in what way exactly?"

"Let's just say that it will be the digital you, looks wise. You can do the voice, too, if you want to."

"I do want to. What girl would be given such a gift by her boyfriend and not go the whole nine yards? Not this one, thank you very much."

"I was hoping you'd say yes. With your sexy voice the game will be an even bigger success."

"You know how to compliment a girl, Chuck. Let's hit the shower now. I don't want to be late for work, but I want a little morning delight."

"You're forgetting one thing."

"What?"

"I can cover for you. Besides, with the extra time you're putting on the assignment, you can afford to be at the office late."

"Mr. Watkins might have something to say about that, I fancy."

"Give the man a little credit, Sarah. He's been with us for over fifteen years. He can tell that the work you're doing so far cannot possibly be done between nine and five on a work week. Ergo, he knows you're working at home, not to mention the late hours you've been putting in at the office."

"But I haven't stayed late for almost a week."

"Just because I keep dragging you out of there and taking you home," Chuck pointed out. "And since Graham is kind enough to leave me alone so far, even though my leave is technically over, I can enjoy your company as much as humanly possible."

Sarah flung the sheets off of her with a flourish and went to the bathroom. "Are you coming?" For good measure she threw a seductive glance at him.

"You don't even have to ask." He immediately got up and ran after her.

-o-

"What have you got for us, Danny Boy?" Ryker asked.

Shaw glared at him, but decided that a businesslike attitude was the best response. "I think we caught a break. It wasn't in Carmichael's report, but Sullivan, my man in records, came through." Shaw held up a printout. "It's the passenger manifest for Carmichael's executive jet as submitted by the pilot. There is a discrepancy with Carmichael's official report. In addition to his team it also lists a civilian passenger, but unnamed."

"He brought his contractor home with him."

"I wouldn't automatically assume that it's the contractor," Decker interjected.

"Sullivan says that there was an extra passenger on the Rome to Zurich and Zurich to DC flights. Odds are the extra was indeed the consultant."

"We're still not even remotely close to discovering this person's identity."

"Relax, Ryker. I gave Sullivan instructions on how to proceed."

"Do you mind telling us about them?"

"Not at all," Shaw smiled. "Basically, he's gonna pose as a DHS agent, contact the clowns at TSA and have them send video footage from the day of Carmichael's arrival in DC. We may get a usable shot of the person traveling with him and his team. We'll then run it through the databases and we'll see how it all plays out."

"Just tell your man to be discreet about his inquiries."

"We know how to cover our tracks," Shaw replied indignantly as he got up to leave. It was obvious that the only thing the three men had in common was greed. And right now their greatest fear was discovery of their secret. A secret someone could use to blackmail them. Worse, it might get into the hands of the CIA's internal affairs division and then they would be a lot more than neck deep in shit.

"What do you think?" Decker asked Ryker as soon as Shaw left.

"The kid is good, but I think he's too ambitious."

"I agree. We'll need to keep an eye on him and his friends."

"Maybe they can be useful patsies. If it goes south, we can take them all out and pin the rap on them."

"Not bad, my friend. We put all the blame on them, make it look like we uncovered the conspiracy and come out smelling of roses, with gold stars on our records courtesy of the Director himself."

-o-

"And last but not least, there is this three-bedroom apartment in Echo Park," the realtor said, turning the computer screen towards the couple sitting across from him. They both leaned in to take a closer look. "It's in a nice neighborhood," the realtor continued. "It has two parking spots, a large bathroom, storeroom, living room, kitchen and a study. It opens to the common courtyard, plus there is a small back yard, too."

"How big?"

"Big enough for, say, a grill."

"What do you think, John?"

"I think we should go see these properties, Kath."

"Yes we should. But from what I see this last one merits extra consideration. It's even closer to where I work than our current place, and it's also more convenient for Alex."

The big man nodded and turned to the realtor. "When can we check it out?"

"I have an opening in my schedule for today, after five, if you can make it."

"We can."

"Sir, may I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"I see you have an Annapolis ring. Are you in the Navy?"

"Marine Corps, actually," the man called John replied.

"I was in the Corps myself. Saw a little action in Desert Storm commanding a LAV-25 before I was sent home to recover from an injury incurred in a friendly fire incident."

"I was in Recon back then."

"See you tomorrow, sir, ma'am."

"Looking forward to it." The two men shook hands. Then the couple left to get their car.

"I honestly didn't expect to find so many affordable places so soon, Sugar Bear," Kath said.

"I know. I was surprised myself, but I guess it's a buyer's market." He handed her the folder containing the information on the houses they were interested in that the realtor had given them. "Do you have any one you want us to give extra consideration to?"

"The last one, the one on Franklin Street in Echo Park," Kath replied. "It looks like it's the best of the whole lot."

"We'll have to see it first, but I have to agree. It's also the most affordable. We can buy it outright."

"I love you John Casey." She stood on tiptoes and kissed him.

"I love you too, Kathleen Casey." He gallantly opened the door of the car for her and she got in. He scooted to the driver's side and soon they were on the way to do some necessary shopping and have lunch before going to pick up their daughter from school.

-o-

"I didn't see Chuck at all last night," Devon commented as he poured himself a cup of coffee in the break room.

"He probably stayed at Sarah's. They've been hot and heavy ever since they hooked up. I can't blame them, either. Just by looking at them I can tell that they are absolutely perfect for each other. And according to Mom Sarah is a model employee at Orion. They are really lucky to have her."

"You know, seeing them together reminds me of our own early days. Mark my words, babe. Before we know it, those two will be living together, under one roof – just like us."

"I'd love to see it happen, preferably sooner rather than later. It's funny, given the short time we've known each other for, but I already consider Sarah to be the sister I always wanted and never had... Just saying."

"Same here. I only have brothers, and I really like Sarah. In a sense you can say that I too found a sister in her. She keeps the Chuckster happy, which is a big plus."

"What I really want is to invite her over for dinner. It's strange, but I haven't had the chance to do that yet."

"Just don't go all big sister on her. I don't think she or Chuck will appreciate it."

"I didn't do that when we had coffee together barely a day after she first slept with my brother. Why on earth would I want to rock the boat now?"

"Well said, El, well said. And I'm totally behind your idea. Let me know if I can help."

"Maybe she can be a good enough reason for Chuck to give up his _other_ job, especially since his contract is close to expiring," Ellie mused. "He just needs to realize it. And we are going to do everything we can to help things along," she decreed.

-o-

"Nice place," Justin Sullivan commented on the suburban house they were meeting in. "Maybe I should ask for a bigger cut."

"You'll have to earn it first, son," Decker said seriously. "Tell us what you got."

"The morons at TSA were sufficiently impressed by my fake credentials and didn't ask any questions when I asked to see the footage from the day of Carmichael's return."

"We all know the TSA is only good at harassing innocent civilians," commented Ryker. "But let's cut to the chase."

"You got a DVD player?" Sullivan asked, brandishing a few DVDs.

"It's right over there," Decker replied. "Should we nuke some popcorn?"

"Not a bad idea," Shaw deadpanned. "I'll even go get the beer, if you like."

The DVD was promptly loaded in the player and the four men sat back to watch. Suddenly, Decker paused the video. "There's Carmichael and his crew. There is someone with them, but Carmichael is in the way. I can't see a face."

"I have DVDs from different cameras," Sullivan offered. He changed the DVD in the player and finally they had a useful shot of the elusive contractor.

"I only have this to say, she's hot," Ryker commented.

"Carmichael is one lucky son of a bitch," Shaw added.

"Now what?" Sullivan asked. "We need access to a database to run a facial recognition program."

"I got it covered," Decker told him. "As a senior agent, I have access to everything I need with no questions asked. Make a few screenshots and put the pictures in a flash drive. I'll go to Langley and be back in a couple of hours. The rest of you wait here. Order pizza, watch the game on TV, play cards, just don't go anywhere, because we'll need to make some plans when I get back."

-o-

Sarah looked at the clock on her computer. It was almost five, which meant that Chuck would soon be coming to drag her out of her cubicle and take her home. She still had time to get some more work done, however. Right now, she was focusing on the release event itself, since the advertising campaign was not only going smoothly, but its results were exceeding even the most sanguine expectations. Her superiors, from Mr. Watkins all the way up to Mr. and Mrs. B were thoroughly satisfied with her performance. She sat back and thought about what she could do to make the game's release even more memorable than it was already shaping up to be. Maybe she could… yes, this was not a bad idea at all. The more she thought of it, the more attractive it looked to her. The cost would be the only inhibiting factor, as she was currently running out of allotted funds and was loath to ask Mrs. B for more money.

She was still trying to come up with something both effective and economical when Chuck walked in. She heard him say hi to her coworkers, joke with them and talk a little shop before he headed towards her workstation. She greeted him with her brightest smile.

"Hi Chuck. Come to get my progress report?"

"I believe we can have a working dinner."

"What will you be making?"

"A phone call," he replied.

"A phone call," she echoed. "We'll order in, I take it?"

"Correct as usual. It's Chinese food night and I happen to know one of the best restaurants in the city. Gather your stuff and let's go."

"OK, but I need to talk to you about the release event. I thought of something, but I'm not sure I have enough left in the budget to fund it."

"The funds you were allocated were for the advertising and promotional campaign. I'll make sure you're authorized further expenses for the release event."

"Are you sure it's going to be okay?"

"You worry too much. Mom is going to approve of any reasonable request you make."

-o-

"That's odd," Chuck said as he pulled into his designated parking spot.

"What?" Sarah asked. "Is something wrong?"

"No, not really. See those two cars here? They are in the spots reserved for the apartment across the courtyard from mine, which is for sale."

"So you got new neighbors?"

"Could be," he replied. They unloaded their groceries and proceeded to his apartment.

"I'm glad you find it satisfactory," someone was heard to say. Chuck recognized the man as the realtor who was handling the sale of the apartment he'd mentioned to Sarah.

"Of all the properties we looked at, this is by far the best in all respects." The voice this time was familiar to both Chuck and Sarah.

"Casey?"

"Ah, Mr. Bartowski," the realtor said. "It appears you'll have new neighbors. And I take it you know them."

"He only knows me," Casey said. "Bartowski, Walker, I'd like you to meet my wife Kathleen."

"Hi," Sarah said brightly. "I'm Sarah and this is Chuck. Nice meeting you."

"Welcome to the neighborhood," Chuck added, shaking Kathleen's hand.

"You still work for Bartowski, Walker?"

"I work for Orion Computers, Mr. Casey. So, in a sense yes, I do work for Chuck."

"It's the Bartowski family business," Chuck explained. He didn't mind that Casey now knew his real name. The man was as honest as they come. "You must come over for coffee sometime soon. Now, if you'll excuse me, Sarah and I have to talk shop."

"See you around, Bartowski."

"Casey, do you play computer games?"

"Only for grownups, if you consider a firearms training simulator a game, why?"

"Because I just finished a first person shooter game about the Korean War. You're a Marine and therefore you're bound to enjoy some of the campaigns."

"Is that so?"

"It'll be released soon. In fact, Sarah is in charge of the promotional campaign and the launch event."

Sarah then had a brilliant idea. "Mr. Casey, are you into studying history? I was thinking about hiring actors to jazz up the event and I'd like to make sure they'll be wearing the proper uniforms for the era."

Casey snorted. "Actors, huh? I have a better idea. You can ask a reenactment club to help. They're all about historical accuracy and it'll cost you far less than hiring actors. They'll enjoy it, too. I can give you the contact details of such a club."

"I'd appreciate it, Mr. Casey," she said earnestly. "You just took a huge load off my shoulders. Chuck, it appears that we won't need to increase the project budget."

"Thanks Casey," Chuck said. "When are you guys going to move in?"

"We'll sign the paperwork today and we'll start moving in tomorrow."

"I'd consider it a privilege to help."

"Same here," Sarah added.

"Thank you," Kathleen said warmly. "I always had a good feeling about this place. And it all came out better than I expected. Is that right, John?"

*grunt* (Just as you said it, babe)

"See you guys around," Chuck said and led Sarah to his apartment.

"I'll have to send Casey a thank you gift for the tip he gave us. Do you know what he'd like?"

"Sure. Guns," Chuck replied laconically.

"Anything easier to obtain?"

"Um, yes, actually. He's into everything related to Ronald Reagan and also good whiskey."

"I'll get him the collector's edition of _International Squadron_ to go with a bottle of Johnnie Walker. How's that?"

"Brilliant." He drove the point home by kissing her. "Now, let's put the stuff we bought away before calling Ellie and Awesome here for our Chinese dinner."

-o-

Decker jumped on the comfortable couch of his house and Ryker tossed him a beer. The two knew each other well, having been partners for years and Ryker could tell that Decker had good news. Shaw, on the other hand, was a newbie, along with his friends Sullivan and Perry, in the 'CIA Westies' as the gang's founders liked to call themselves.

"Well?" Shaw asked impatiently. "Did you manage to ID her?"

"Lads, meet Ms. Sarah Lisa Walker of Los Angeles, California," Decker said, unfolding a piece of paper and showing it to his cohorts. "By all accounts, she is a hardworking girl, currently employed by the Marketing, Public Relations and Advertising Division of Orion Computers."

"But we know better," Ryker added. "Do you gents fancy a trip to sunny California?"

"I'm game," Sullivan said. "What's the plan?"

"Simple; we snatch her and make her tell us what she did with the… item."

"You heard the man, Sullivan. Go pack for the trip and call Perry. Tell him he's coming with us. We might need him, too."

"Okay, Danny Boy," Decker said. "I'll make the travel arrangements and let you know. We leave tomorrow." He took another look at Sarah's photo. "It's a crying shame. She is a beautiful girl. Too bad we'll have to kill her in the end."

-o-

"And you guys do this all the time?" Sarah asked as she reached for a fortune cookie.

"It's a tradition dating back to my high school days. Of course, this is the small gathering. Most times Morgan would be here, too, often with a girl, as would Bryce and Jill. And we always order from the Bamboo Dragon on occasions like this one."

"The choice of restaurant is great. I even enjoyed the sizzling shrimp."

"You don't normally eat shrimp, do you?"

"Not really," she admitted, still toying with the fortune cookie.

"Go ahead, read it," Ellie urged. "Reading from the fortune cookies is another favorite thing to do on Chinese takeout nights."

"Okay," Sarah smiled and broke her cookie open to retrieve the small strip of paper. "If you have found the right path, stay on it," she read. Then she looked at Chuck. "This is great advice and I fully intend to follow it. Now, read us yours."

"I'll have to pick one first," he replied, looking at the remaining fortune cookies on the table. "Let's see… this one?"

"Don't ask me. It's your fortune we want told," Sarah laughed.

"Who needs fortune cookies when he's got you?" He pulled her closer to him and pressed a light kiss on her temple.

"You're breaking the tradition," she scolded. "Crack it open and read it already."

"A dream you have will come true," he read. "It hits the spot. Actually, more of my dreams have been coming true lately and you are responsible for them to a great extent, Sarah."

"I am?"

"Getting into that will take us all night, so you can just take my word on it. Now, let's see what's in store for Ellie and Awesome."

* * *

><p><strong>P.S.:<strong> Commenting on the show, I noticed a lot of bad guys, the ones named here being prime examples, have Irish names. Coincidence? Who knows? Anyway, now Sarah's an Intersect? I'll reserve judgment for now, but the Giant Blonde She-Male souped up with a supercomputer in the brain has potential.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** So far I'm keeping my promise for one update a week minimum. I really wish I could post new chapters more often, especially considering how supportive you all are, but real life gets in the way sometimes. I hope you enjoy this one.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

"Mom, I have to be going to class."

"Okay Alex. Remember, we are moving to our new place today."

"Yes, you haven't let me forget it. My stuff is packed and ready. I'll be over to help as soon as I can."

"Take your time, sweetie."

"Sure thing, Mom. By the way, I told my boyfriend about the move and he offered to help. It'll score him some brownie points with Dad, don't you think?"

"It won't hurt," Kathleen chuckled. "John is a fair man. If your boyfriend is on the up and up, your father is bound to warm up to him."

"I'll bring lunch from the diner. What's the new address again?"

"1837 Franklin Street," Kathleen replied. "I'll text you the bus routes."

"No need, Mom. I booked the services of my personal chauffeur for the day."

"Have it your way, Alex."

"Thanks." She was on the way to the door when her father came from the storeroom lugging some boxes. "Hi Dad, love you Dad, bye Dad," she said cheerfully and ran outside.

"We've raised a good kid, Kath."

"Uh-huh. She said she'll bring us all lunch from the diner after she's done at school. Oh, I almost forgot. She also said that she'll be bringing someone else to help."

*grunt* (One of her friends to help her decide how to decorate her room, no doubt)

"Close, but no cigar, Sugar Bear." Kathleen had learned to correctly decipher Casey's grunts a long time ago, even before they'd gotten married in fact. "We'll finally get to meet her boyfriend."

"Alex has a boyfriend? Since when?"

"Apparently they met just before the holidays and hit it off instantly – her words. From what she says, he's a very nice young man. Trust me when I say you'll like him. I have yet to meet him, but I like him already."

"I see. Well, the last of the stuff we have in the storeroom is ready to go."

"We still have time until the movers show up. And I have a pretty good idea on how to pass it, Sugar Bear." She started towards the bedroom. "Are you coming?"

His reply was to sweep her off her feet and carry her to the room.

-o-

"I must say, Ms. Walker, we've never had that kind of an offer before, so I can't give you an answer right now. I'll have to run it through the executive board."

"Truth be told, you come highly recommended as the group with the best understanding of the Korean War. I contacted no other organization before coming to you."

"Frankly, I think the board will jump at the offer. We need good publicity to attract more members."

"You'll get it. My boss has also authorized me to negotiate the payment for your services, or any other form of compensation you want."

"We are a nonprofit organization, Ms. Walker."

Sarah nodded in agreement. "I browsed your website. I believe we can make a donation to your group, as well as handle the catering for the people you'll have at the store, should you agree to my proposal, plus provide a sponsorship for your calendar. The game developer also wants to hand out free games to those who will participate."

"All told, I think it's a most attractive offer," the reenactment group president said. "The board will agree with me and then we're in business. In fact, I the board will convene for an emergency session later today. I'll call you as soon as I have news."

"This is my card. You'll find my home number on the back as well. Don't hesitate to call me at any time." She rose to leave. "Thank you for your time and have a nice evening."

"You're most welcome and I'd like to thank you, too. Our members are going to love the whole deal."

Sarah left the reenactment group's offices, feeling good. Earlier the same day she'd had more good news: the movie she had ordered for Casey would be delivered at her office soon. She already had a bottle of good whiskey gift wrapped in a desk drawer back at work and waiting for the DVD set to join it.

She was heading back to her car, fully intending to go to Chuck's before he got home and cook for him, so that he would find dinner ready when he returned. Her plans, however, were to be disrupted. She was about to get her keys when a black van screeched to a halt next to her and three masked men jumped out, making straight for her. As one of them reached to grab her, she reacted instinctively, flipping him on to the pavement with a flawlessly executed judo move. Another one grabbed her around the waist, but she stomped on his instep with her high heeled boot. The man howled in pain and let go just as she elbowed him right in the face, breaking his nose, and then on the ribs. The first man was getting up and got the pointed toe of her boot in the balls, putting him out of commission. As she turned to look for the third man, Sarah felt a sharp pain in the back of her head and her world went black.

-o-

Mary and Stephen were about to call it a day and go home when the phone rang. Stephen picked it up immediately.

"Hello?" He listened to the person on the other end of the line and his expression turned grim. "I understand. Thank you for letting us know. Keep us appraised of the situation and anything you need from us we'll provide."

"Stephen, what's wrong?"

"We need to talk to Charles. It's an emergency."

"Tell me what happened! I'm getting worried here."

"It was the police. Sarah's been kidnapped."

"WHAT?"

"They called us because they found her briefcase at the scene."

"I'll call Chuck. It must be related to the work she did with him in Europe."

"Or it may be about her career as a thief," Stephen added. "Either way, our son must know. Maybe he can help."

As expected, Chuck went ballistic when he learned the news. "Mom, Dad, I have never killed anyone, but if they harm even one hair on Sarah's head, all bets are off," he ground out through clenched teeth. "Right now I have to recall my team and inform Graham. If it's related to our operation… I may need to bring Casey in as well. Do you have the name of the detective that called you?"

"Um, yes. It's a detective White, LAPD."

"I may have to go federal agent on her. I'll be in my office." He about-faced and left.

"I pity the stupid fools who took Sarah," Mary said to her husband. He just nodded. They had never seen their son so angry.

Meanwhile, Chuck was explaining the situation to Langston Graham, who was none too happy with the news. He offered to contact General Beckman and have her assign Casey to assist Chuck and his team. "Have you informed her family?" Graham finally asked.

"Not yet, sir. But I am going to call her sister as soon as we're done here."

"Handle the matter any way you see fit. If there is a connection to the Zurich operation we may have a leak. I'm giving you a full internal affairs investigation warrant, just in case. By the way, there is another agent in LA, visiting family."

"Really Boss? Who?"

"Evelyn Nichols. She used to be one of the best field agents before she was seriously wounded in the line of duty. Now, pending recertification after rehabilitation, she's an instructor at the Farm."

"I know Eve. She's good. Send me her contact details, in case her services are required." Chuck ended the connection and sighed. He wasn't looking forward to letting Carina know, but he had to do it.

"What did you just say?" Carina exploded when he explained the situation to her. "Have they made any demands yet?"

"It's too early. We only know because a witness saw the whole thing and called the cops."

"Chuckles, I want you to be honest with me. Does this have anything to do with whatever you hired her for in Europe?"

"The possibility is being considered, along with every other scenario. It could just as easily be because she's your sister, or it could be due to the fact that she has done work for the Orion security systems division, participating in the sale of a couple of high end packages. Or maybe a ransom demand will be made to your parents. You should inform them of this, by the way."

"OK. But I want in on the investigation, too."

"Sure. Right now, I'm going to lean on the lead detective. I want to see what the cops have so far."

-o-

Detective Alexis White was pissed. The victim had been fortunate enough to have her kidnapping witnessed, and a camera on a nearby building had captured the scene on video, but running the van's plates through the system yielded no results. Plus, a high profile case like the one she had right now was not the best thing, coming in the wake of the entire precinct being under IA scrutiny after a senior detective, a Lieutenant Mauser, was caught neck deep in several illegal ventures.

"Dammit! This is going nowhere," she muttered. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a uniformed cop point someone to her desk. The young man approached her in a confident manner.

"Detective White?"

"Yes?"

"Special Agent Carmichael, CIA," he said, showing her his badge and politely holding out his hand.

She returned his firm grip. "What can I do for you?"

"I'd like to talk to you about the kidnapping you're investigating. Ms. Walker was briefly employed by the CIA recently, and we are quite concerned that it might be related to the case she helped us on."

"I understand, but the CIA is not supposed to operate on US soil."

"That's why I have an internal affairs warrant."

"So far we've got bupkes. We ran the license plate of the kidnappers' van through the system, but they must be fakes, as we got no hits. She did put up a fight, though." White played Chuck the video. "One of them has a broken nose and maybe ribs, while another will be singing soprano for a while."

Chuck laughed. He knew how proficient Sarah was at martial arts. "Did you collect evidence at the scene? Fibers, DNA, anything?"

"Nothing that helps."

"I can have the license plate number of the van run through our own system. I'm not really optimistic, as they can be fakes, as you said, but we'd be remiss if we didn't try."

"Knock yourself out," Alexis said with a tight smile, handing him a note with the number on it.

He thanked her and went to call Morgan. The results were not long in coming. There was a good reason for the plates not being in the LAPD's system. Following a quick call to Graham explaining the situation, Chuck again sought out Alexis.

"We got 'em. Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to explain, but the CIA and the NSA will be taking over the case, Detective."

Alexis was no fool. "So it's either internal affairs or intelligence stuff."

"Something like that," Chuck replied vaguely.

"If you need any extra help, don't hesitate to call." She gave him her card. "Oh, and my people are going over traffic camera footage to see if we can trace the van's route. I'll keep you posted."

"Thank you for everything, Detective White." Then he left to rejoin his team and Casey. Carina should have told her parents by now and he'd advised her to stay with them, just in case a ransom demand was made.

-o-

The movers had just delivered the last boxes to the Casey family's new apartment when Chuck called with the news of the kidnapping. Naturally, Casey told him that he was in all the way, as he wasn't about to pass up the opportunity for some gunplay. It also served as a distraction from the revelation of his daughter's boyfriend's identity. This situation would be dealt with later. He had another reason for participating in this mission. He hadn't shown it outwardly, but he liked Sarah Walker. She'd made a good impression on him from their first meeting and she had been a great help with the Zurich assignment. Right now, he, Bryce, Morgan and a woman introduced to him as Eve Shaw – Nichols was her maiden name – were waiting for Chuck in a little visited area of a federal building downtown that served as a reception area for intelligence agents returning from overseas assignments. Chuck and Carina joined them not long later. Casey was surprised to see the DEA agent and even more surprised to learn she was Sarah's big sister.

"Time is of the essence, so let's get right down to business," Chuck said. "The cops had no luck tracing the kidnappers' van license plates, but as it turned out the vehicle is one of ours, stolen from a training facility in Nevada last week. The whole deal stinks of an inside job, but I don't know why."

"It's got to be the Zurich mission," commented Casey.

"I know. But who would be interested in it and why would they take Sarah? She was only an outside contractor. We, the CIA and the NSA, are in possession of the juicy stuff we recovered during the course of the mission."

"Um, Chuck?" Morgan asked as he looked up from a computer. Seeing his friend nod, he continued. "I don't know if it's of any use, but I got the police report on the crime scene and I'm printing it now."

"Thanks little buddy." Chuck moved to the printer and snatched the pages as the machine spewed them out. "Interesting," he muttered after going through a list. "It says here that Sarah's cell phone was recovered, but there is no mention of the second one she had, the one issued to her by the company. Excuse me a moment." He ran to another room and called his father. He wanted to know if Orion phones could be traced. The answer was quite heartening, as it was doable. Stephen would give it a try.

-o-

As Sarah regained consciousness, she became aware that she was in a moving vehicle, trussed up but thankfully not gagged. She could hear voices, so she pretended to be still out. Opening one eye into a slit, she saw the backs of four men. Taking stock of herself, she noted with relief that only her head hurt, in addition to some cramping caused by her uncomfortable position. Not daring to move in order not to give away the fact that she was wide awake, she started formulating a plan. She needed to buy time until Chuck found her. She caught enough bits and pieces of the conversation between her captors to know something about what they wanted. But she had Chuck. Chuck would do everything in his power and then some to get her back safe.

"Come on, open the damn door," the driver called to someone outside the van.

"The damn motor's stuck! We have to do it manually. Gimme a hand, will ya?"

"OK, everybody out. Let's get this motherfucker open."

It was the opportunity Sarah was waiting for. While scheming, she had felt the Orion phone in her back pocket. Fortunately, her hands were bound behind her back and she could get to it. She pulled it out and pressed one on the speed dial.

"Hello?" Chuck's voice was terse and she could detect his anger in it.

"Chuck," she whispered, twisting her body into an even more uncomfortable position in order to bring the phone as close to her mouth as possible. "I can't talk much, but they think I'm still out. We're dealing with at least five and it has something to do with the Rome job. Trace the call. I'll keep the line open to make it easier. I have a plan to buy some more time."

"Just don't do anything stupid, Sarah. I'm coming for you."

"See you soon." She shoved the phone back in her pocket, but heard what Chuck said in reply.

"I love you Sarah."

She smiled. She knew from the start that there was more to their intimate relationship than just an extension of their friendship. She began to feel sorry for the men who'd taken her. A few minutes later, she was tied to a chair and someone broke a capsule of smelling salts under her nose. She coughed and blinked, shaking her head from side to side, pretending to try to clear it.

A man slapped her on both cheeks. "Wake up, sleeping beauty. We need to have a little chat."

She decided to feign both disorientation and fear. "What's going on? Who are you?"

"More important is that we know who _you_ are, Ms. Walker, so I'll just cut to the chase. Before the holidays, you broke into an office in Rome and stole something very valuable; this to be precise." The masked man showed her a photo of a model car.

Sarah squinted at the photo. "Doesn't look familiar. My Dad collected model cars, but from what the display base says it's a 1927 Lancia Airway. I'm more familiar with models from almost a decade later. Wait, you say I stole it?"

"Yes, in Rome. Care to tell us what you did with it?"

"But I've never been to Rome. I want to go someday, but… And what was I supposed to be doing there?"

"You worked for F & S Global. But you are also a thief."

"I'm not a thief!" Sarah protested vehemently. "And I certainly don't work for the outfit you mentioned. I-" Her interrogator punched her in the gut.

"Stop lying to us," he barked as she coughed and wheezed, trying to catch her breath.

"I'm not lying," she cried. _I should get an Academy Award for this_, she thought. "I work for MCG Construction and Real Estate."

"She's lying!" Another man moved to hit her again, but the lead interrogator stopped him. "What?"

"She did work for MCG… four years ago."

"Four years?" Sarah echoed. "You mean it's 2012?"

"You idiot! You hit her too hard and caused amnesia!"

"You mean she can't remember the last four years?"

"We'll find out if she's telling the truth." He turned to Sarah. "You better be, because I'll rip out your toenails one by one – for starters." He motioned to another man, who removed Sarah's boots.

She still played the part of the intimidated and panicking female to perfection. "But I told you, I don't know anything! You have to believe me!"

"I say we hook the bitch to the leads of the van's battery and gun the engine," another man suggested. "It'll serve her right for breaking my nose."

"I'd go with ripping all her nails out," someone else said. "Thanks to her I'll be walking lopsided for a week and I wanna see her suffer."

"I'll keep it under advisement," the one who was obviously calling the shots said. "Too bad we couldn't get any of those exotic truth drugs normally used in cases like this one. It would have made our lives easier, but we couldn't afford to leave a trail. So we'll do it the old fashioned way. Ms. Walker, you heard what my associates are inclined to do to you. For your sake, I hope you're not faking amnesia. We'll find out, you know. How painless it will be is up to you. Think about it for a few minutes and try to remember. We'll be back to check on you soon." He turned to the others. "Let's get that nose of yours checked out. And you get an ice pack for your poor cojones."

The five men came back, this time without wearing their masks. Sarah noted with grim satisfaction the mess she had made of one's face and the awkward and obviously painful gait of another. Not hiding their faces also meant that they fully intended to kill her when it was all over. She wasn't worried, as she had absolute faith in Chuck. He would come in time to save her.

"Well, Ms. Walker, do you have anything to tell us?"

"Give me a break, will you? I just lost four years of my life, not to mention your claim about me being a thief. It's a bit too much to take in one go."

"Alas, we can't afford to give you a break. There's too much at stake and we are pressed for time. So, I'm going to ask you nicely just one more time: What did you do with the model?"

"Why on earth would I be interested in stealing it in the first place, assuming I indeed stole it? I can go to a store and buy one any time I want." Chuck was most certainly listening in and she wanted him to know what the fuss was all about.

"This one is special. It was made by a Lancia craftsman who worked on the prototype of the actual car in the twenties. Its value as an antique is measured in tens of thousands of dollars, but we are more interested in what's in it."

"We're done playing nice," one of the men growled. "We have ways of making you talk, but you won't like them. And remember… everyone talks."

"Hold your horses, Danny Boy." The older man took the one he called Danny aside. "It's your fault this is happening. I have some reservations, but it looks like she's telling the truth. Very few are so good actors."

Meanwhile, outside, Chuck and his team were preparing to storm the warehouse. Stephen had managed to trace Sarah's cell phone signal. A scan with a thermal imager confirmed the presence of six people inside. Sarah had been right when she told him that five men were involved in the kidnapping. Casey approached Chuck. Like everyone else, he was in black assault gear, with full body armor and heavily armed.

"We're ready. Detective White and the SWAT team have secured the area."

"OK. We'll go in through the side entrance. Remember, the objective is to get Sarah out of there alive and well."

"Let's do it. I'm point."

"Leave one or two for us," Bryce joked. Casey just grinned as he locked and loaded his weapon.

TO BE CONTINUED


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **Considering the cliffhanger ending of the previous chapter it would have bordered on the cruel to keep you waiting too long. Besides, the carnage, mayhem and fluff in this chapter were all plotted in advance, so it was surprisingly easy to write. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

"We're in position and ready to breach," Chuck informed Alexis.

"Roger that. Thermal is still showing six signatures in the vehicle bay on the main floor. The offices are clear. Good hunting."

"Thanks. Bryce, hand me the borescope please." Chuck slipped the flexible end under the door and checked for alarms. Then he took an appropriate pair of picks from a set and got to work on the lock. The thing was anything but top of the line, so he would normally have it open in no time flat. But, as the result of years of neglect, it was stuck.

"Should I ask the SWAT team for a shotgun with breaching rounds or a battering ram?" Casey asked.

"No, I've got this. The lock's just a bit stiff from being unused for quite some time."

Chuck was as good as his word. The lock opened following some careful juggling with the picks and judicious application of brute force. Casey went in first, gun leveled. Chuck was right behind him, followed by Bryce, Carina and Eve.

"I've got you on thermal," Alexis told them. "Targets' location is still the same. Hold on. One is on the move."

"Can you see what he's doing?"

"No, I have no visual." She raised the sniper team covering the warehouse and asked them if they had a visual. Before the spotter could reply, her screen was showing six heat signatures again. "Carmichael, all targets are in their original positions. You're clear to approach."

Chuck used hand signals to communicate with his team and indicate the optimum approach route.

Since the side entrance led to the overhead offices in the warehouse, the entry team was a level above the main floor where Sarah and her captors were. Through the windows along the office hallway, they had a clear view of the events unfolding below. They were also invisible up there, given that the office area had no power and it was completely dark. The glare of spotlights fitted to one of the trusses supporting the office level floor also helped conceal them from anyone who might glance in their direction.

The person Alexis had seen disappear and then reappear in her field of view had gone to the van, opened the side door and returned with a set of jumper cables. The man popped the hood open and connected the cables to the ignition.

"Now you see what we have in store for you, Ms. Walker," Decker told her. "This is your very, very last chance. Where is the model?"

"But I told you, I don't remember! Why can't you believe me?"

Shaw motioned to Sullivan, who got behind the wheel and started the van's engine. "I believe a demonstration is in order," he said with a sadistic smile on his face as he touched the free ends of the jumper cables to each other, causing sparks to fly. "The next step will be to attach these clamps to your person and slowly increase engine RPMs."

Watching the events unfold and listening in on the conversation, Eve felt nauseous. Her knees threatened to give out, so she reached out and grabbed Chuck's elbow for support.

"Are you okay?" Chuck whispered in her ear. "Do you want to sit down?"

"Carmichael, the man about to torture her… I know him."

"You do?"

"I recognized his voice. And I can see him better from here."

"Who is he?"

"Special Agent Daniel Shaw, my soon to be ex-husband," Eve replied venomously, as she continued to listen to the creep laughing about her being next on the hit list in addition to a passing mention of his infidelity. Her voice was still a whisper, which made the words sound very threatening. Chuck shivered and the funny part was that Eve's anger wasn't even directed at him. The old adage held true. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Especially if said woman was trained to maim and kill in a million different ways.

"Okay, let's move out."

Below, the interrogation was still on. "Where should we put these first?" Shaw asked his friends.

"Try her boobs," Perry laughed.

Sarah caught a movement in the darkness behind the five men. She inwardly rejoiced when she realized the truth. Chuck had come to save her. The transformation was instant. Gone was any pretense at fear. Her blue eyes got a steely glint and her voice was now firm and commanding.

"I'll make you clowns a deal you don't deserve," she said. "Danny Boy, put the clamps to your balls, gun the engine, enjoy the jolt and maybe you'll live."

"Is she playing with us?" Decker exclaimed.

Casey led the way down the stairs to the main floor. Unfortunately, one of the support brackets was corroded through and gave way under his weight. It didn't completely break, but it made a horrible metallic screeching noise that reverberated inside the warehouse. All five baddies turned as one to look. Perry drew a gun, but Casey was faster. He dropped the traitor with a single shot to the chest. Decker grabbed a concussion grenade, but as he pulled the pin while trying to take cover behind the van he was shot by Bryce. His corpse dropped in the service pit right on top of the now live grenade. It and the walls of the pit absorbed the blast, but the results were quite gruesome.

Sullivan decided that discretion was the better part of valor and ran to the exit, where the cops nabbed him before he had taken two steps outside. Ryker made a grab for an automatic weapon, but before he could level it at the team Sarah rocked the chair she was bound to violently from side to side, toppling it over and crashing into him. The impact sent him flying backwards into the wall, where he was impaled on a length of rebar jutting from the concrete. He looked at her in shock as the life drained out of his body.

Shaw dropped the jumper cables, drew his gun and fired. The shot hit Chuck square on the center of his ballistic vest's ceramic plate. He might as well have shot a BB gun at an enraged bull or a seriously pissed off grizzly bear. Chuck didn't slow down as he charged Shaw and slammed into him using a brutal full-body tackle, driving him to the side of the van, the impact actually denting the metal. Then he threw a mighty right hook before Shaw could recover. His opponent was winded and dazed, but still attempted to put up a defense. Chuck's anger took over and he began pummeling Shaw, until he managed to regain control of himself. Sarah had something to do with it, as she called out to him from her position on the floor, still tied to the fallen chair. "Chuck? A little help here, please?" Satisfied that the threat had been dealt with, he refocused his attention on Sarah and went to free her from her bonds.

Just as a bruised and bloodied Shaw regained his bearings and caught his breath, a dark shadow fell across him. He looked up and saw his wife in full assault gear, looking like an avenging angel – a furious avenging angel.

"Eve?" Still groggy from the battering Chuck had given him, his voice came out a croak as he struggled to get up.

"Daniel Shaw, you bastard," Eve spat. She then leveled her pistol at him. "Consider that a divorce," she growled and pulled the trigger, shooting him between the legs. He fell to his knees in shock, hands clutching the injured area. "And I have a message from Director Graham: You're fired." She pulled the trigger again, the bullet this time hitting him between the eyes and painting the side of the van with his brains.

"Are you all right, Eve?" Bryce asked her.

"I'll be fine," she replied with a last contemptuous look at Shaw's dead body. "My Mom never liked him and now I know why. By the way, do you think I'm eligible for benefits considering I'm now a widow?"

"I'll have to ask Graham," Bryce replied. Then he turned to Chuck, who was helping Sarah up. "You guys OK?"

"We're fine," Sarah replied. She paled a little when she saw Ryker's lifeless body, still upright, skewered on the rebar. "I killed him," she muttered.

"It was him or us, Sarah. Come on, let's get you out of here. And… where are your shoes?"

"Hang on. Here they are." She pulled her boots on and looped her arm through Chuck's. "We're good to go. I trust you heard what they were after," she said as she fished out her phone and finally ended the longest call she had ever made.

"I did. Ellie and Devon are waiting outside to give you a checkup."

"They're here?"

"Let's just say that I found a way to allow them to live out their spy fantasies, even as support personnel."

Carina approached them. "You did pretty well here, keeping your cool waiting for the cavalry to come to the rescue, little sis. Chucky also told me about the story you spun to buy time. You'd make a great agent, Sarah."

"Thanks."

"So, what was the fuss all about?"

"It was something pertinent to her brief relationship with the CIA," Chuck replied. "Which reminds me, Graham will want to debrief you along with us," he told Sarah.

-o-

Sarah was in the back of an ambulance, trying to be patient while getting a check up done by Ellie and Devon. All she wanted was to spend time with her Chuck until the scheduled debriefing, actually protesting and claiming she was fine, but Ellie would have none of it. When Chuck agreed with his sister, she shot him her dirtiest look. He wasn't the least bit dissuaded or intimidated by it. If anything, he was a little amused.

"She's fine," Ellie concluded.

"I've been trying to tell you that for over half an hour now."

"She still has a mild concussion in addition to a couple of cuts and bruises, so she should avoid any kind of stress, including physical."

"Once the debriefing is over, I'm taking her home and putting her to bed," Chuck promised.

Later, the team was in the federal building, having called in a cleaner team and also released the LAPD support units after thanking them for their participation in the operation. Chuck was going to make sure that Detective Alexis White would get a commendation for her performance on the case. He'd just finished fussing again over a protesting and mildly annoyed Sarah when a screen flickered to life and Director Graham appeared along with General Beckman.

"Tell me what you've got," he said without preamble.

"The masterminds were Special Agents Clyde Decker, Kieran Ryker and Daniel Shaw, working with Agents Hunter Perry and Justin Sullivan," Chuck reported. "The latter was the only survivor, but cracked immediately during interrogation."

"He sang like a superstar," Bryce added.

"Shaw also wanted to have Perry kill me," Eve pointed out. "He figured it was cheaper than a divorce. But I, ahem, divorced him first."

"Cut to the chase, people," Beckman interjected.

"They stole a special processor used in high grade encryption systems and were going to sell it on the black market. Said processor was hidden inside an antique and very valuable model car entrusted to a contact of theirs, and it eventually came into Sarah's possession in Rome."

"I'd be interested in knowing how," Carina interrupted.

Sarah wanted to sink to the floor and become one with the industrial carpeting of the room, but Chuck continued undaunted. "They used CIA resources to determine the identity of my consultant. The rest you know."

"On behalf of the CIA, I'd like to apologize for everything you went through today, Sarah. If there is anything I can do for you…"

"Give Chuckles a few more days off, so that he can help speed Sarah's recovery along," Carina piped up.

"First of all, I'd like to return the processor," Sarah said. "I gave the model car to my boss, Mr. Bartowski, as a gift."

"I'll see to it," Chuck assured her.

"Send it via the usual method," Graham ordered.

"Yes Boss. And I have a favor to ask. Detective Alexis White of the LAPD was of great help to us today. Please see to that she gets a commendation."

"It will be a pleasure. If none of you has something to add, we can adjourn the debriefing. I expect written reports on my desk by Tuesday morning. Goodnight everyone."

"Goodnight," the assembled agents and Sarah chorused just before the screen went blank.

"Come on, Sarah. I'll drive you home."

"I'll go collect her car," her sister offered.

"Don't try to hotwire it!" Sarah warned. She loved her car and didn't want to see a scratch on it, let alone have someone tearing the underside of the dash apart to get to the ignition wires.

"I got your keys, courtesy of Detective White."

"Hand them over. Chuck can take me to it."

"No, Sarah, you've got a concussion, remember? You are most definitely not going to be driving tonight." This earned him another dirty look. He made a mental note to get her flowers and gifts to appease her. Carina smiled as she gave her little sister her purse back.

Then Sarah remembered something. "Mom and Dad, how much do they know?"

"I brought them up to speed, sis. They'll be waiting at your place."

During the drive to the Maison 23, Sarah toyed with the Orion phone. "I was very lucky to have put it in my back pocket," she told Chuck. The phone's slim, ultra-compact design made it easy to miss visually and with its faux leather case it could be just as easily mistaken for a wallet. She was also amazed to see it was still functioning. No other phone's battery could last this long, not with the use she'd been putting it to over the past few days.

-o-

Jack and Emma had been worried sick and were overjoyed to see their baby girl alive and well. Leaving Chuck to talk to them, she went for a quick shower. When she emerged from the bathroom dressed in her PJs, Carina had also arrived. Chuck was by the window talking on the phone.

"Bryce called," he said. "Dad gave him and Casey the you-know-what. His people also went over the phone records and emails of everyone involved. They didn't tell anyone about you and your part in the case."

Sarah's parents were just looking at him, confused. "Chuckles works two jobs," Carina explained. "One you know all about, but the other is for the government, just like mine."

"Naturally, I'd prefer that you keep this new knowledge private," he said.

"It goes without saying," Jack assured him.

"But something has been bugging me all along," Carina continued. "If you worked with Chuck in Europe just to reinforce his cover, how on earth did you come to have the model car they were so eager to get their hands on?"

"It's a long story," Sarah said, hoping it would stop there.

"She needs to rest," Chuck added.

Carina regarded them both suspiciously. "You didn't steal it, did you?"

Chuck had been giving Sarah a drink of water and she choked upon hearing her sister's words. After coughing and spluttering, she managed to breathe again.

"Oh you did!"

"What did she do?"

"She stole it! I have been hearing rumors about a real good thief or crew of thieves for a little over a couple of years now!"

"Is it true?" Emma asked Sarah.

"I know for a fact that when two or three heists took place Sarah was in the same countries at around the same times. Spill it, sis."

Sarah guiltily lowered her eyes. "It was me," she admitted. "I worked alone."

"Damn," Jack said. "I've kept in touch with retired, um, people in the trade. Last month I was in New York for Serena Kaye's birthday bash. Falco, Powell and Evan Mitchell were all there. They had only praise for your skills, kiddo."

"Jack!"

"Of course, your mother and I are extremely displeased. What were you thinking, Sarah? I tried to keep it a secret from all of you. When Emma found out, I quit without a second thought. You three are way more precious to me than any loot. I didn't want to even consider losing you. And I now hear that you are in this life? A life of taking risks and being under immense stress? I thought you'd have better judgment, baby girl."

"Was," Sarah corrected and sniffled a little. "After completing the job Chuck recruited me for, I decided to find an honest job and use my talents exclusively for legitimate pursuits." She still couldn't face her parents and sister. Jack's short lecture, delivered calmly, was more effective than hours upon hours of yelling.

"Sarah is also doing valuable work for the Orion Security Systems Division," Chuck told her parents. "But she really needs to rest. She's distressed, as you can see, and she already has a concussion. We shouldn't upset her any more than she already is."

"He's right," Carina agreed. "Let's take this next door to my place. Chuck…"

"I'll stay and keep an eye on her."

Emma leaned down and pressed a light kiss to her daughter's temple. "We love you, Sarah. We always have and we always will."

"I love you guys, too."

After Jack, Emma and Carina left, Chuck made sure Sarah was comfortable in bed before pouring him a glass of bourbon on the rocks. He also placed a glass of pineapple orange juice on the nightstand for Sarah. She smiled gratefully and raised it in salute. He replied by raising his own glass.

"I expected the others to be…" she began.

"They weren't thrilled, but in the end they know you made a right choice, giving up that life. Had you still been, um, active, they would have had every right to stay mad at you."

"Thanks Chuck… for everything."

"You're welcome."

"Cuddle with me?"

"Just as long as you don't have higher expectations for tonight," he smiled.

She pillowed her head on his chest after he got in bed next to her. "I love you too, Chuck. I didn't get the chance to tell you before, but now's the right time."

"Better late than never," he said, wrapping an arm lovingly around her shoulders and pulling her closer.

Next door, Carina and her parents were still talking. "I'd have kicked her ass big time if she didn't have a concussion," Carina fumed.

"She has black belts in the same martial arts you do," Emma pointed out.

"True, but I have anger on my side."

"Give her a break. You saw how she was. She looked like she was about to cry. Besides, it's all in the past now. Emma and I, as her parents, and you, as her sister, need to support her now that's she's on the straight and narrow."

"I agree," Emma said. "We won't give her any more grief over this. Besides, we have Chuck and he's also willing to help. She's very lucky to have met him."

"And she's having fun with him, something I wasn't able to do when I first met him," Carina commented offhandedly.

Meanwhile, there was a knock on Sarah's door. "I'll go see who it is," Chuck volunteered. He peered through the peephole and was pleasantly surprised to see his parents. "Mom, Dad, come in."

"Thanks. How is Sarah?"

"She's resting. Other than a mild concussion, and a couple of cuts and bruises, she's fine."

Mary held up a couple of bags. "You kids must have skipped dinner with all that happened today, so I brought you some."

"You didn't have to, Mom, we could have ordered in."

"Nonsense. Nothing beats a good home cooked meal."

"Chuck, who is it?" Sarah called from her bedroom.

"Mom and Dad dropped by to see how you're doing."

Sarah got up and went to greet them. "Hi Mr. and Mrs. B," she said brightly.

"Go back to bed, Sarah dear," Mary told her.

"It smells delicious, but you didn't have to…"

"We wanted to, kid," Stephen said. "Charles…"

"I know, Dad. How about dinner in bed, Sarah?"

She sat primly at the table. "This is better."

"Okay. You guys take a seat while I get the dishes. What did you make, anyway?"

"It's grilled pork medallions with rice, potatoes and steamed vegetables. I also made a salad and dessert. I would have brought some wine as well, but as it turned out it's good I didn't."

"We have plenty of juice to compensate." Chuck held up a gallon jug of pineapple orange juice, Sarah's favorite.

"Since you have everything under control, we'll leave you to enjoy your dinner."

Sarah rose and hugged them both. "Thank you."

"It was no trouble at all."

"What are you guys going to do now?" Chuck asked.

"We are going out with Jack and Emma for drinks."

"Have a good time," Chuck and Sarah wished them in unison.

-o-

"Your Mom is a great cook," Sarah said admiringly during dinner.

"She's a woman of many talents, just like you and your Mom. But Dad is the Grillmeister."

"To us and our families," she toasted, raising her glass of juice.

"Hear, hear. To us," he replied.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** The heavy action over, some family time is in order. I drew from my own life for this chapter, having many nieces and nephews courtesy of my cousins, as well as being honorary uncle to my good friends' kids. Hope you like it.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

Chuck floated slowly back to wakefulness. The first thing he realized was that he was lying prone, his right arm extended at an angle relative to his body, palm cupping something warm, firm and silky smooth. His brain processed the data and concluded that the object was Sarah's exquisitely sculpted pajama-clad butt. And then there was this soft clicking noise. Opening his eyes, he saw her next to him, also prone, happily pounding away at the keys of her laptop computer. He smiled and lightly squeezed one of her buttocks, letting her know he was awake.

She turned and gave him a very bright smile. "Hi Chuck."

"What are you doing?"

"Good morning to you, too. I'm working."

"I thought I ordered you to take the day off."

"No, you told me not to go to the office. You didn't say anything about working from home. Besides, I'm having loads of fun here."

"Okay," he drawled. "What exactly are you doing?"

"Nothing much; just looking at the game discussion boards on our site and taking notes. People have been providing very interesting feedback on the demo."

"Define interesting."

"They are enthusiastic about it. In addition, they say it doesn't tax the hardware, even though the graphics are movie grade."

"I know. I purposely designed it so that people with older computers or laptops could enjoy it to the full."

"Now this guy has an excellent suggestion." She tapped the screen and he wiggled closer to read the text.

"He does," he agreed after reading what a poster had to say.

"Can you do it? Providing expansion packs with more missions should keep interest in the game high for a long time."

"I can do it. Besides, as a gamer, I always had this desire to see games I liked get added features and maps."

"We could make packs for single missions or for a series of missions, and also make them downloadable from our site, if the size is small enough."

"I really think you should lay off work, at least for today, Sarah."

"But I really like this work. Besides, I need as many distractions as possible."

He nodded understandingly. She didn't want to think much about the previous day's events, especially the part having to do with Ryker's well deserved demise. She had come to terms with it very quickly, as he'd pointed out that she couldn't have known the outcome and in any case her actions had helped the assault team. Furthermore, as it turned out, things had been helped along by a .45 caliber slug from Carina's UMP, the impact adding sufficient force to impale Ryker to the rebar. And if Sarah wanted distractions, he would provide her with some. He smiled evilly as he saw her focusing again on work and ignoring him. Perfect. He moved a little towards the foot of the bed and without warning bit her left ass cheek lightly.

"Chuck!" Sarah yelped.

"Sorry," he said, not a trace of regret in his voice. "I just couldn't resist."

"Come here, you. I need to get me some Chuck, otherwise I'm liable to be very cranky for the rest of the day."

"Help yourself," he grinned.

She was about to ravish him when there was a knock on the door. "Dammit," she huffed. "Stay here. Don't breathe, don't move. I'll be right back." Moving to the door, she looked through the peephole and gasped in surprise. Recovering quickly, she threw the door open and plastered a huge smile on her face. "Now that's a surprise."

"Hello Sarah," a ruggedly handsome man told her. "It's been a long time."

"Two years almost to the day," she replied. "So, what's my favorite cousin-in-law doing here?"

"He's here with your cousin and your niece," a feminine voice replied.

"Alexandra!" Sarah exclaimed, seeing the tall blue eyed blonde that appeared from behind the man.

"Hi cuz." The two blondes hugged. "You remember Molly, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Sarah beamed and knelt to say hi to the blond five year old girl standing next to her mother. "Hi Molly."

"Hi Aunt Sarah," Molly replied cheerfully.

"My, you've certainly grown a lot since I last saw you. Don't just stand there, come on in. Can I get you anything? I have coffee, chocolate and tea."

"Can I have some chocolate milk please?" Molly asked.

"I don't know if I have any," Sarah confessed.

"Yes you do," Chuck said from a doorway. "I went out while you were asleep earlier and bought some."

"But I woke up first."

"I decided to catch some more Z's when I returned," he said by way of explanation.

"Okay. Chuck, I want you to meet my cousin Alex, her husband Cole Barker and their daughter Molly. Guys, meet my boyfriend Chuck Bartowski."

Greetings were exchanged and they all moved to sit around the table. Chuck and Sarah brought coffee and Molly's chocolate milk.

"So, what do I owe this very pleasant surprise to?" Sarah queried.

"I talked to Aunt Emma earlier today," Alex said. "Cole and I have to do some traveling abroad for work and we can't take Molly with us. We'll be gone for two weeks and your Mom offered to look after Molly until we get back. She also told me to leave her with you, as she had something urgent to take care of today."

"It'll be a pleasure," Sarah smiled to the little girl.

"Mommy always says nice things about you, Auntie Sarah. And I love Auntie Emma and Uncle Jack, too."

They made some more small talk, until Alex and Cole had to leave for the airport.

"I expect you to behave, Sweetie," Alex told her daughter.

"I'll be good, Mommy," she promised. "You and Daddy go work and have fun."

Cole knelt to face the little girl. "We'll bring a nice surprise for you, Princess."

"Thanks Daddy."

-o-

"Chuck is really, really cute," Molly told Sarah while Chuck was in the bathroom.

"I know. And I love him very much."

"Can I play with your computer?"

"Sorry honey, I need it for work."

"But you are not at work," Molly pouted.

"True, but I can work from home."

"What are you ladies talking about here?" Chuck asked when he rejoined them.

"Sarah won't let me play with her computer. She says she needs it for work."

"Tell you what; after lunch, we'll all go to my place. I have awesome gaming systems there and you can play all you want."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Thank you." Molly then turned to Sarah. "I like Chuck. He's very nice."

"You have no idea. So, what would you like for lunch?"

"Can I have a hot dog and some nachos with cheese?"

"Does your Mommy let you eat so much junk food?"

"She doesn't have to know," Molly said quietly and gave Chuck and Sarah her puppy dog look.

"You can have the hot dog today, but not the nachos. They'll be for another day," Sarah decreed.

"Deal!" Molly chirped.

Chuck was watching the scene with a big smile on his face. It was obvious how much Sarah loved her little niece. She would make a wonderful mother one day. He made a mental note to tell her that much.

"So, Molly," Chuck said while Sarah was driving them all to get the hot dogs. "What else do you like to do besides playing with computers?"

"I bet she goes to ballet classes," Sarah said.

"Nah, I don't like ballet. It's for silly little girls."

"But you are a little girl, Missy."

"Maybe, but I'm not silly. I like karate."

"You do?"

"I only have a white belt, but one day I'll have the black. What about you, Chuck?"

"He's a black belt," Sarah informed her niece.

"So is Sarah. Carina, too."

"You know Auntie Carina?"

"I knew her even before I met Sarah."

"Can we get some food for Rex, too?" Molly said, changing the subject.

"Who's Rex?"

"My dog."

"She's talking about her stuffed dog, Chuck. Nice try, little one, but you agreed not to overdo it today."

"Did you ever have a stuffed dog, Sarah?"

"Sure I did. I called him Bunny."

"That's a funny name for a dog," Molly said.

"I know, right?"

"One of my colleagues when I used to work at the Buy More was called Bunny."

"I remember her. She helped Anna and me with the makeup and the wardrobe when we filmed the commercial."

Chuck and Sarah each held one of Molly's hands as they walked into the Wienerlicious. There, they allowed her to order for all of them. Chuck made some small talk with Scooter, reminiscing about old times and then went back to the car for the drive to Echo Park. Sarah had already called her mother, informing her that they'd all be at Chuck's. She could thus drop by anytime she could to collect Molly.

The little girl was quite amazed the moment she stepped through the entrance to the courtyard. "Wow! Chuck! You have a fountain!"

"Do you like it, kiddo?"

"Yes! Um, which place is yours?"

"This one," he replied, taking his keys from a pocket and opening the door. "Make yourself at home while Sarah and I set the table for lunch."

"And after lunch you can play with the gaming system, like we promised," Sarah added.

Across the courtyard a door opened. Since the whole affair with Sarah's kidnapping was over, the Casey family had finished moving in and Casey himself had had a little talk with his daughter's new boyfriend while setting up the various appliances in the apartment. Despite his hardass exterior, he was a fair man and agreed to give the relationship a chance, especially since he'd come to respect Morgan's devotion to his friends and partners and had also noticed how well he went along with Alex.

"Hey Chuck, Sarah," Morgan said.

"Hi Morgan, what's up?"

"I just finished helping the Casey family with some things. Are you up for some gaming?"

"Sorry, little buddy, but the gaming system is reserved for Sarah's niece."

"Said niece being this lovely young lady?" He knelt to face Molly. "As you may have heard, I'm Morgan, Chuck's best friend. This is my girlfriend Alex."

"Hi. I'm Molly. My Mom's name is also Alex," Molly smiled.

"Why don't you guys come in?" Sarah told Morgan and Alex.

"I see you're OK, Sarah," Alex said. She'd learned about yesterday's events by accidentally eavesdropping on her father when he called his boss to report. "You had all of us worried."

"Nah, I knew you guys would come through. How does pizza sound? I think Chuck has some we can throw in the oven."

"Morgan and I were about to go out for lunch, and we wouldn't like to intrude."

Chuck steered Morgan and Alex to his door. "You know the saying: the more the merrier."

The pizza did not take long to be ready, so they all sat down to enjoy it and the hot dogs. Later, Alex helped Chuck and Sarah with the dishes and they watched Morgan play video games with Molly.

"I guess there is an upside to never having grown up completely," Sarah smiled. "Morgan's great with Molly. Just look at them."

"I like him even more, if that's possible," Alex agreed.

"Aw, come on!" Morgan was heard to exclaim. "You must be using some sort of cheat codes!"

"I don't cheat," the little girl countered. "You should practice more."

Emma Walker found them in the living room playing Monopoly. She stood outside, looking in through a window for a couple of minutes, happy in the knowledge that her daughter had made the right choice when she started dating Chuck. Maybe it was too early, but she was hoping they'd give her grandchildren to spoil rotten. In the meantime, she'd practice on her niece's daughter. Chuck saw her and immediately got up to let her in.

"Hi Mrs. Walker. You're right on time. Molly was asking when you'd show up."

"Auntie Emma!" Molly jumped into her aunt's arms.

"I missed you, little one. Did you have a good time?"

"I had an awesome time. Can we go see Uncle Jack now?"

"Sure. Where are your things?"

"In my car," Sarah replied. "Come on, I'll drive you."

"There is no need, Sarah. Our place is not far from here. We can walk."

"We insist," Sarah said. "Besides, she likes my car. Chuck, I'll be right back."

"Okie-dokie."

"When I grow up, I'll get a car just like Sarah's."

"My car will be an antique by then, Molly."

She scrunched her pert little nose adorably. Then it came to her. "I'll get a Porsche anyway."

"She has good taste in cars," Emma commented.

"Everyone in our family does," Sarah added.

"I still have your first car."

"You kept Lola?"

"It's in the hotel garage. Our employees sometimes use it to go out on errands."

"Lola?" Molly inquired.

"I named my first car after Lola Bunny. It felt right as it is a Volkswagen Rabbit."

"Does this one have a name, too?"

"Yes. I call her Jaime."

"How did you come up with it?" Emma asked.

"Remember those old shows Dad loves? I named her after the leading character of Bionic Woman, because she's really fast."

"Well, it actually makes sense."

"And not a word of this to Chuck, do you hear me? I don't want him teasing me about being a 'closet nerd', which I'm not."

"Your secret is safe with me, Sarah," Emma promised.

"I won't tell either," Molly said.

-o-

Sarah was soon back at Chuck's. She found him in the living room working on his laptop. Morgan and Alex had already left, so she closed the door behind her and approached Chuck with a predatory look in her eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing much," he replied. "I was just saving the pictures I took today of you and Molly."

She straddled him and gave him a slow kiss. "That's very sweet, Chuck. But right now, I want something I was denied yesterday and we've been putting off all day."

"Then I suggest we retire to my room."

She kissed him again. "I don't think I can wait that long."

He scooped her up in his arms and started walking to the bedroom. "I believe you'll find it's worth this very short wait."

-o-

"I should deprive you of me more often, Sarah," Chuck panted after the last round.

"Don't you dare even think about it," she growled from his side, where she was also trying to catch her breath. "I'm not above tying you to the bed and having my way with you every time I feel like it."

He chuckled. Sarah was insatiable. But then again, he couldn't get enough of her either. Still smiling, he pulled her closer. Their joking comments, made in a post-coital bliss, just reinforced a decision he'd already made. He'd never been happier and he was pretty sure Sarah felt the same. "I'm leaving the CIA," he told her.

"Because of me?"

"Among other things," he said. "But you played a major part in helping me make my decision."

"I have a little something to confess to, Chuck."

"Go ahead."

"Basically, it hinged on you. I was seriously considering accepting Graham's offer, if you decided to renew your contract. That way we would be together all the time. We would still be a team."

"You'd do that just for me?"

"Admittedly, my motives would be selfish as well, meaning I could have you for myself any time I wanted."

"I love you."

"I love you too." She gave him a quick kiss and smiled. "You should inform Ellie of your decision. I think it'll make her very happy."

"You have no idea. Speaking of ideas…"

"What?"

"Your niece gave me one. I'll redesign one of the ruggedized laptops we make and see if it's possible to market it as a children's computer. It will be a proper system, not the limited capability ones found at toy stores."

"I think it's a great idea, Chuck. And it won't break easily, which is another plus."

"The casings of the ruggedized series can withstand a herd of stampeding elephants, so to speak. Surviving the abuse children can heap on them is easy by comparison. I'll make sure Molly will be the first to get one."

"You're so sweet, Chuck. And I have another suggestion. We could market a line of computers, desktops and laptops, cosmetically redesigned for children aged 10 to, say, 16. And we could add a parental control feature as well."

"Keep those ideas coming and you'll get a promotion before you know it."

-o-

The rest of the week passed fairly quickly. Chuck and Sarah kept up their established routine, spending a lot of time together, both at and off work. They also got to see little Molly a lot, as she liked Chuck's gaming and home entertainment systems. And since she was always a good girl, Emma saw fit to reward her by taking her to his place whenever possible. He had made clear that they were not in any way intruding, and in any case he was very fond of the little girl.

One day a courier delivered the contract renewal papers from the CIA. Chuck called his friends and team mates and informed them of his decision not to re-up. Unsurprisingly, both Bryce and Morgan felt the same. They'd had enough adventures over the last five years and now they just wanted to settle down, take up jobs more in line with their studies and enjoy spending time with their girlfriends. Graham was sad to see them all go, but he graciously accepted their decision. The final act as their boss was to award them (in secret) medals and commendations for their meritorious service.

"You'll be missed here," he told them after the small ceremony that took place in his office in Langley.

"We'll keep in touch, sir. The Company is one of Orion's best customers."

"I can't escape you no matter what, huh?" Graham joked.

"You're doomed to have to deal with us until you retire, sir," Bryce joked back.

"Go on, get the hell out of my office. I have work to do and you no longer have clearances."

"Goodbye sir," they said in unison. Just like Graham, they were a bit emotional. They had just closed a big chapter in their lives. But now they were opening a new one, one that was full of possibilities. During the drive to the airport, Chuck told them about his latest projects. They had to know, as they were both going to be working for Orion from now on.

Sarah was waiting for them at the airport, driving an Orion Computers minibus. She was eager to see Chuck and the others again after their brief absence. Spending the weekend with her boyfriend was something she'd been looking forward to all week, especially since she had made some very special plans to celebrate his retirement from the spy life, among other things.

* * *

><p><strong>P.S.:<strong> The show may be over now, but it will be kept alive in the world of fan fiction, where the limit is only the writers' imagination.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: **Time to continue the story. It's nice to see people posting new stories and/or continuing existing ones, even though the show is over now. Also, many thanks for your wholehearted support so far.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>

"We should be getting back," Chuck said.

"Huh?" Devon removed his earbuds and looked at Chuck. "What was that?"

"I said we should be getting back. We need to shower, grab a bite and head for work."

"Personally, I could go a couple of extra miles," Sarah butted in on the conversation.

"Oh, I'm not tired. But I don't want to be late for work."

She checked her watch. "Damn! I lost all track of time. Chuck, you're right. We should be heading home."

They hadn't bothered to stop running while talking, so they simply changed direction and headed back to Echo Park and Franklin Street. They ran harder over the last quarter of a mile. Upon entering the courtyard, they all did some stretching and relaxing exercises by the fountain before disappearing inside their respective apartments.

"Chuck, I have a suggestion to make," Sarah said as she kicked off her running shoes and rummaged in the dresser and the closet for clean underwear, a bathrobe and towels. She then laid out a crisp, neatly pressed business suit on the bed.

"Go ahead."

"You know how much I enjoy running with you, right?"

"And I enjoy running with you, too. Why, do you want to run alone?"

"On the contrary, I want us to keep running together as often as possible. In fact, I want us to run more."

"More?" Chuck echoed.

"Yes. More and harder; I seem to have an excess of calories to burn lately."

He muttered something sounding suspiciously like 'women' under his breath.

"Did you say something?"

"No, but I don't think you need to work out more."

"I beg to differ."

"Sarah, your body is perfect. Keep your workout regimen as it is. I can swear on a stack of movies and games that you have not put on an ounce of fat."

"Are you willing to swear on your Tron poster?"

"Like you have to ask. Of course I am."

She stripped off her tracksuit and examined her profile in the mirror. Her body seemed firm as ever. But she still had a nagging uncertainty. "Hmmm…"

"Okay, that's enough, Sarah." Chuck took her by the arm and led her to the bathroom. "You are beautiful. I don't care if you put on a few extra pounds. If anything, there will be more of you to love."

"But…" Sarah began to object.

"But nothing," he said firmly. "Plus, I know how to put your mind at ease. After work I'm taking you to the Westside Medical. There, Ellie and Devon are going to run some tests to prove once and for all that you have good metabolism. From what I've noticed so far, it's almost as good as mine."

Sarah thought about what she'd just heard. "You have a point – I think."

"You don't think, you know." Without further ado, he pulled her into the shower and turned the water on, before she even had the chance to take off her sports underwear.

"CHUCK!"

"Allow me to demonstrate another and very pleasurable way to burn calories," he said, attacking her neck with his lips.

"Now that's something I can get behind," she said breathlessly as she locked her legs around his waist.

-o-

Even with the not-so-quick shower quickie, they made it to the office with time to spare. Chuck went up to his office to see if there was anything requiring his attention. Sarah clocked in and went to her cubicle, where she got to work on the final details of the launch event for the game, as it was only weeks away. Finding everything to her satisfaction, she compiled and sent a progress report to Mr. Watkins, Chuck and Mary. Until Chuck came to take her to the cafeteria for lunch, she called accounting and made sure they'd received her memo about sponsoring the reenactment club's calendar as well as making a small donation to them. She wasn't really surprised to learn that the person handling it was none other than Bryce Larkin. After all, he had been working for Orion before she'd even heard about the company, even if it had been off the books at the time.

Morgan and Bryce joined Chuck and Sarah at their table for lunch. While enjoying the Chinese style offering, they talked about Chuck's idea for a children's computer line. Bryce confirmed that using existing and proven components would keep production costs to a minimum, while Morgan suggested selling the computers with the option of factory installed educational programs. The Software Division had already developed some and they were available.

"So, setting up a production line is not going to cost us, as it will essentially be a simple assembly line, taking components from other lines and using them to build the new model," Chuck summarized.

Sarah paused just as she was about to bite into a spring roll. "All this so far amounts to a feasibility study."

"Yes, and it's feasible," Morgan said.

"And economical," Bryce added.

"Guys, I'm not questioning the conclusions of this feasibility study. I'm more concerned about potential sales. Before going ahead and presenting the project to Chuck's parents, we should do market research. We need to find out how well the proposed line will sell. If there is potential, then we proceed."

"She's absolutely right," Chuck agreed. "I'll fire off a memo to Watkins as soon as I hit the office and have him refer the matter to the Market Research section. In the meantime, I can work on making prototypes. And that's where you come in, Sarah."

"Why, what do you mean?"

"Obviously, the computers in the children's line must have the appropriate appearance. Sarah has a good eye for colors and shapes, plus she's a decent amateur artist as well."

"I saw the artwork she did for 38th Parallel," Bryce said. "It was amazing."

"Still, the market is awash with comparable products. Okay, not exactly awash, but there will be competition."

"Morgan, buddy, since when are we afraid of a little competition? Besides, we can corner the market on the preschool to mid-elementary school age range, taking a huge chunk out of the toy companies' sales. For older kids and students, we can offer competitive packages at very attractive prices. We'll milk the production economy resulting from the common component concept for all it's worth, thus selling reasonably priced products with a good profit margin."

"And the development costs have already been covered, as the components are already well established in production."

"Precisely," Chuck agreed. "We offer top quality with low acquisition and minimal life cycle costs."

"I'll let you know as soon as I have the market analysis report in my hands. Getting back to the 38th Parallel, it occurred to me that we've been marketing it for a very short time. I mean, are two months from announcement to release enough time to…?"

"Most companies go for longer promotion times, but we play by a different set of rules, Sarah. The trailers we posted online have gone viral in the gaming community. The demo has been downloaded millions of times and we've been getting the best possible publicity from magazines and sites all over the world."

"Production is going smoothly. There will be no shortage at the stores for the days after the release. The game cannot be pirated, either."

"You didn't!" Chuck exclaimed.

"I most certainly did!"

Sarah was confused. "What are you guys talking about?"

Morgan smiled. "I bought a highly illegal Q36 game copier, Canada's greatest gift since Shania Twain. Even this top of the line gadget cannot bypass our copy protection."

"I see. So far we have everything covered. Chuck took care of the rating issues. The promotion campaign is going smoothly, so all we have to do is focus on the planning for the launch event." She was enjoying some fried rice when her phone rang. "Excuse me, I have to take this." She got up and moved a short distance from the table to talk. "Hi Mom. No, you're not interrupting. I was on my lunch break. Did you talk to Mrs. B? Sure, I'll tell her. It's OK, I can handle it, don't worry."

"Everything OK, Sarah?"

"Yes, but I'll have to go see your mother. It was my Mom on the phone and she asked about certain products of ours."

"We won't hold it against you if you sit down and finish your lunch first, you know."

"I'd be a fool to leave this delicious lunch half-eaten. But I can tell you it's going to be a big contract. I'll be handling it."

"You like to have your fingers in many pies, don't you?" Bryce joked.

"What's wrong with a little variety at work?" Sarah shot back.

After lunch, Chuck and Sarah went to see Mary together. She was with Stephen in his office, going over project budgets and sales reports. They both looked up as their son and his girlfriend entered.

"Just give us a minute and you'll have our undivided attention, kids," Stephen told them.

"Take your time, Dad." Chuck sat on the couch and Sarah followed suit, allowing him to pull her close with his arm. They didn't have to wait long.

"What can we do for you kids?" Mary asked.

"My mother called," Sarah replied. "They want to install a new state of the art vault in the hotel, where customers can safely store their valuables. Naturally, she wants an Orion security system for it."

"Tell her not to worry. When we're done, security will be tighter than a nuclear missile silo's."

"I promised her that even I would be completely unable to break in."

"I'll let the Security Systems Division know. Do you want to be the lead on this?"

"That goes without saying, Mrs. B."

"Mom, Sarah and I were also discussing the potential of launching a new product line, computers for kids. We think there is a good potential market and we can make short work of the competition. Sarah already put in a request with Market Research for a market analysis report."

"And Chuck said that he'll develop educational and entertaining games and other programs for kids to go with the computers."

"Exactly how did you get such a great idea?"

"Sarah's niece is spending a lot of time with us. Her parents had to travel abroad for work and Emma's taking care of their little girl."

"She wanted to play with my computer. Chuck came up with this great idea and also gave her an old laptop of his to play with in the meantime."

"I completely sanitized it first. She won't find anything inappropriate for her age in it."

"You have my approval on everything," Stephen said.

"Mine too," Mary added.

"Thanks. Right now, we're going to get some preliminary work done on the security system for the Miller Hotel's vault. We'll be in my office."

"I'll call Mr. Watkins and let him know where he can find me," Sarah added.

-o-

"Your parents are very thorough," Chuck commented when he and Sarah opened the email with the plans of the vault.

"They're running three very successful businesses. They have to be."

"And it looks like they hired the best construction engineers to build it. We've worked with them on many occasions. About our part in this, it's time for you to become a thief again, Sarah. How would you plan to rob the vault?"

"Give me some time to think about it."

"Okie-dokie." Chuck saved the plans to a tablet computer which he gave to her. She made herself comfortable on the couch and began studying the blueprints, making notes with a wireless electronic pen. Occasionally, she would get up and review her progress on a huge wall mounted touch screen system. Having a multitude of gadgets to play with was another of her job's perks, in her opinion. Chuck's nerdiness must have been rubbing off on her big time. Sure, she'd worked with top of the line electronics before, but now she was enjoying it immensely, too. She and Chuck really got into it. By the time a comprehensive package was ready, it was quite late. Chuck was very surprised to see it was nine in the evening already.

"Well, we're done here," he announced. "Let's go home. Your place, or mine?"

"Shouldn't we get something to eat at the cafeteria first?"

"It's past nine, Sarah. The cafeteria closes at eight."

"Huh? We stayed here so late?"

"I'm afraid so. We lost track of time working on coming up with the best possible system configuration for your folks."

"Let's go to my place tonight, unless you want to spend the night on your couch bed."

"Your place is fine. We can get pizza on the way."

"Pizza sounds just about right." Then her smiled turned sly. "But we really should spend a night here some time in the very near future."

"You are a very naughty girl, Sarah."

"Only with you," she said.

"Don't I know it…" He leaned in and kissed her. Then he remembered something. "I have a little something for you." He reached for his discarded suit jacket and pulled something from a pocket. It was a charm bracelet, which he put on Sarah's wrist and did the clasp.

"It's beautiful."

"Mom gave it to me. She said it was for The One. And you are The One for me, Sarah."

She couldn't take her eyes off of it. "Thank you. It really means a lot to me. I love you."

He lifted her chin with a finger and lightly kissed her lips. They looked into each other's eyes and were sorely tempted to make love right there on his office couch. In the end, the day's fatigue and hunger won out and they made their way to the parking garage where Chuck's car was. Fortunately, traffic was light, so getting to their favorite pizza parlor and then to the Maison 23 did not take them long. They had just entered the building when Sarah spotted her sister in the lobby.

"Hey Carina!"

"Sarah, Chuckles, hi," Carina replied.

"You look like hell. Long day?"

"Something like that." Carina was obviously tired. Her attire, a DEA jacket and a tactical holster on her hip, told them that she'd probably been out in the field.

"Big bust?" Chuck asked.

"Oh yeah. Three major players, ten tons of marijuana and enough cocaine to keep a small town high for a week," she beamed. "And the credit for the bust is almost all mine."

"My big sister, in all her modesty, says that she's bound to get a deputy director's position at the very least in the future," Sarah informed Chuck.

"She'll deserve it. She's very good at what she does, you know."

"Is that pizza?" Carina asked, changing the subject and reaching for a box.

Sarah slapped her hand away. "Get your own pizza," she growled.

"As a matter of fact, I got one for her, too. I didn't know if we'd find her here, but I kind of had a hunch." Chuck handed her the bottom box. "It's just as you like it."

"Yummy! Thanks guys! I'll leave you to enjoy your dinner and whatever dessert you have planned." She winked meaningfully at the couple and skipped to her apartment.

"She's not terribly subtle either," Chuck remarked.

"Hell will freeze over first, before Carina becomes subtle, modest and chaste. She's got her faults, but being a bad sister is not one of them."

Later, they were cuddling in bed together, having finished the pizza, watching a movie. Sarah had to admit that Chuck always seemed to somehow know how to keep her entertained. It was one of the many reasons why she loved him so much.

"Chuck," she began.

He silenced her by gently placing a finger on her lips. "Just don't talk about work."

"I was definitely not going to talk about work, Chuck. Molly has a soccer game on Saturday and I was wondering if we could go together and cheer her on. She's very fond of you."

"And I really like her, too. I'd be honored to go to her game with you. Plus, I can also tell Morgan about it. He can come with Alex. You know how fond of Molly they both are. Come to think of it, Awesome and Ellie and Bryce and Jill could come as well. Is Carina going to be there?"

"She said she'd come if she doesn't have to work."

"Good. The more the merrier, as the saying goes."

"Molly is going to be so happy. Thanks Chuck."

"Maybe we can all go to an amusement park afterwards. And for the grand finale, Morgan, Bryce and yours truly will play with her on my kickass gaming system."

"You're spoiling her, you know."

"I'm spoiling you even more." *kiss* "You sure like it."

"Sure I do. You can spoil me all you want."

"Are you up for some more spoiling?" He performed the Bartowski Eyebrow Dance.

Instead of replying she draped herself all over him and they burrowed under the covers together, shedding articles of clothing in the process.

-o-

Following their now customary morning shower quickie, they drove to the Miller to see Sarah's Mom. Emma's secretary let them in right away.

"Good morning," Emma greeted them. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Chuck and I finished the proposal for the security system configuration. The way we configured it, even an insect will need an access card and a pass code to get in." Sarah opened her briefcase and extracted a bulky folder, which she gave to Emma.

"Sarah's exaggerating, of course, but we did make it as secure as humanly possible. It would take a major operation involving heavy construction equipment to break into it. Not giving the clients direct access to the deposit box storage was also a smart move."

"The budget with its detailed breakdown is in the appendix, Mom," Sarah pointed out.

Emma scanned the document with an experienced eye. "I get the feeling we are going to be getting excellent value for money. Other companies we asked for information offer much less for the same price."

"And the pièce de résistance is the configuration of the boxes. Each will have both mechanical and electronic reprogrammable locks. Call it an additional security feature. A universal pass key will be issued for use by you or whoever in the hotel's management you designate in case of an emergency or if law enforcement officers need you to open a box for them. The rest you can discuss with my parents."

"Now that's what I call first class service."

"The customer is always right, Mom."

"Sarah's right. The difficult we do immediately. The impossible takes only a little longer. It's one of the company's unofficial mottos."

"I'll get in touch with Mary and go over the contract terms. Right now, I can offer you breakfast at the hotel's restaurant, assuming you haven't had any yet."

"No, we just had a coffee before coming here. Thanks Mom. Let's go, Chuck."

"It was nice seeing you again, Mrs. Walker."

"Chuck, for the thousandth time, you can call me Emma."

"I'll try to remember that, next time."

-o-

They had delivered the good news to his parents and were on the way to his office when Sarah remembered something she'd been meaning to ask Chuck about for a few days now.

"Chuck, can I ask you something?"

His reply was very simple. "Shoot."

"What are those two rooms next to your father's office?"

"Come on," he smiled. He led her to the first door and punched an access code into the pad by the door. "This is Dad's workshop. He does his best work in here. He has another, smaller, workshop at home, but there he likes to restore old computers and tinker with home electronics."

"It's very impressive," she said, taking in the sight of the very well equipped shop. "It could be tidier, of course, but I guess people find a little mess inspiring."

"Ha-ha, you described Dad to a T. Let's go next door now." He locked the workshop again and used another code to open the door to the other room. "This is an airlock. Leave your cell phones on this shelf." They left their phones next to a rack holding a few pairs of dark goggles. Then he led her into the main area.

"What is this place?" The room was large, all white and had a fancy looking computer terminal in the center.

"It's a clean room."

"Should we be here without the proper protective wear? I, for one, want to keep my job."

"It's not a medical clean room, Sarah. It's more like an anechoic chamber to test electronic equipment. The ventilation system here keeps it dust-free all the time. It's been ages since I last came in here and obviously Dad has been testing a new project."

"And you're curious to see what it's all about."

"Knowing him, it's something really cool. What do you think? Shall we take a look?"

"I really don't know if we should…"

"Don't worry. I'll take full responsibility. And don't tell me that you are not the least bit curious."

"OK, fine." She followed him to the terminal. He pressed the power switch. The computer hummed softly and began booting up.

TO BE CONTINUED


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: **As you may have guessed from the ending of the previous chapter, this is where the plot begins to thicken. One more time, I feel that I have to thank all of you for your comments and encouragement.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17<strong>

The computer booted up in a very short time. Apparently there was only one program installed in addition to what looked like a proprietary Orion operating system. Chuck tapped the icon on the screen with a finger.

"WELCOME TO THE INTERSECT"

"Intersect? What's that?" Sarah asked.

"Beats me, but I sure want to find out." He tapped the screen again.

"ACTIVATE KEY FOR UPLOAD? (RECOMMENDED) Y _ N"

"Yes," he said and tapped the 'Y'.

"DO YOU WISH TO ACCESS ALL FILES? Y _ N"

Chuck again chose yes.

"LOADING" A progress bar appeared and began filling. When the program loaded "INITIALIZE" appeared on the screen. Chuck tapped on the word. The brightly lit room went dark for a few seconds. Then the wall in front of them lit up with a most impressive display. Thousands upon thousands of pictures were projected on it.

"Oh boy," Chuck stammered. "Look at this."

"It's beautiful," added an equally impressed Sarah. Instinctively, her hand sought his and they held hands as they gazed spellbound at the rapidly alternating images.

"I can't take my eyes off of it," he commented.

"Yes, it's… mesmerizing. And the pictures are beautiful, too."

Their eyes were riveted to the wall as the display continued on and on.

Meanwhile, Stephen had just tried for the tenth time to call his son. "He's not answering."

"Try calling Sarah. Maybe she can tell us what he's up to," Mary suggested helpfully.

"Good idea, honey. I'll do just that." He immediately dialed Sarah's number. "She's not answering her issued phone either. I'll try her personal number." But try as he might, he was still getting no answer to his calls. "Something is very wrong here. I know them both and neither goes anywhere without a phone."

"Maybe they have them on silent. Or they could be getting naughty."

Stephen smiled. "How I hope so. As his father, not his boss," he immediately clarified.

"I wonder what kind of lame excuses they'll come up with when they notice all the missed calls."

"Kind of reminds me of the time we started dating," he chuckled. "You couldn't keep your hands off of me."

"As I recall, neither could you."

"I still can't," he laughed and pulled his wife in for a kiss.

"Stephen! Not here. At least wait until we're in your office."

"Killjoy."

Nevertheless, they were laughing as they entered his spacious office. Even the massive desk, the huge display and videoconference setup and the shelves filled with books and various items of computer hardware that were lining the walls along with pictures, paintings and awards didn't seem to take up much space.

Mary was the first to notice that something might be wrong. "Stephen, your computer is flashing."

"Huh?" He moved to check it out. "OH CRAP!"

"Is something wrong?"

"The Intersect has somehow been activated. No, scratch the somehow, I know exactly what happened."

"You don't mean…?"

"Unfortunately, that's exactly what I mean." He took off running for his clean room, Mary following behind. He punched in his access code and entered the airlock.

"Look, the kids' cell phones are here!"

"I saw them," he replied tersely. The door to the main chamber opened and they rushed inside.

The sight that greeted them had them both a little worried. Chuck was lying on the floor, flat on his back, while Sarah had fallen on top of him. "UPLOAD COMPLETE" was flashing on the terminal's screen and projected on the wall.

"Are they going to be all right?"

"I'll check. You call Hartley and tell him to get his ass up here on the double." He checked Sarah first. Her breathing was normal, as was her pulse, if a bit on the fast side. Chuck's condition was identical.

"Hartley's on his way," Mary informed her husband. "I told them to meet us in Chuck's office."

"Then we should take them there." He effortlessly picked Sarah up and carried her to Chuck's office, where he laid her very gently on the couch. His son was much heavier, so he and Mary had to drag him out of the clean room and into his office. Soon, he was next to his girlfriend on his couch. Hartley came running shortly afterwards.

"Mary told me to drop everything and come up here," he said. "What's the rush?"

"See for yourself."

"Charles? And the beautiful Ms. Walker from Marketing? What happened to them?"

"They stuck their noses where they shouldn't have. They uploaded the Intersect."

"Bugger."

"Precisely."

Hartley began examining them. "Well, they look fine."

"I'll check the upload log. They should be okay, if they activated the Key before starting the upload process."

Stephen and Mary were still going over the logs when Chuck came to. "Holy crap," were the first words he uttered.

"You're awake? Good," his mother said, fixing him with a steely glare.

"I sense a lecture coming, but can it wait until I've had some aspirin? My head feels like it's about to explode. And why am I in my office?" Then he saw his girlfriend next to him. Hartley was checking her pulse. "Is Sarah all right?"

"Take it easy there, Charles," Hartley told him.

"How is she?" Chuck insisted.

"Same as you," Stephen replied. "Seriously, what were you thinking? But I should know better. Ever since you were a kid, you couldn't help playing with my toys."

"My head," Sarah whined without opening her eyes. When she did, she noticed Stephen, Hartley and Mary, who had just entered carrying a bottle of aspirin. "Why am I feeling hung over?"

"You'll feel better soon." Mary shook some pills onto Sarah's palm and then gave some to Chuck, before opening the mini fridge in the office and handing each of them a bottle of water. "Take your aspirin and then we'll talk."

"I remember Chuck and me looking at a fancy computer system in a clean room."

"Please tell me they didn't upload the _other_ file," Hartley practically begged.

"I'll have to do some more checking. I added it to the system, but Chuck may have not selected it for upload," Stephen replied.

"Oh well, at least we may have that going for us. Graham will be pissed if they uploaded it."

"What does the CIA have to do with this Intersect?" Chuck asked.

"We are asking the questions here," his mother cut him off. "Why on earth didn't it occur to you to ask your father or me before even thinking about turning this thing on? Don't you know that curiosity killed the cat?"

"And it's the second time he did it, too," Stephen added.

"You never told me about it," Mary said suspiciously.

"It was nothing. I had just finished one of the first test versions back then. He was eight years old at the time and you were somewhere in Europe. I'd left the door to my workshop open and he sneaked inside."

"Did he turn it on?"

"Yes. Fortunately, all I had in the computer at the time were some harmless files."

"What were those files about?" Mary insisted.

"Just some light stuff I was trying on myself."

"YOU UPLOADED IT?"

"Mom, can you please keep it down? My head still hurts."

"Shut up, Chuck. Stephen, I demand an explanation. You're in enough hot water as it is, and be careful about what you're going to say next, because it will determine how many nights you'll be spending on the couch."

"Looks like our Moms hand out the same standard punishment for our Dads' transgressions," Sarah whispered to Chuck. He tried to stifle a laugh and mostly succeeded. The last thing he needed was to get back to being the focus of his mother's wrath.

"We were testing it at the time, to see if upload to a human host using subliminally retained imagery was feasible. Hartley, John Fleming and I devised a suitability test. I passed it and uploaded the files. It was silly stuff, mainly consisting of the owner's manuals for my Mustang and my Bronco, to test information upload and recall and a limited skills pack, the latter being about shooting pool and darts. Chuck got only the skills pack."

"Is that why I was so good at both in high school and college?" Chuck interjected. "I seemed to instinctively know what to do."

"Uh-huh. After you uploaded those files with no ill effects, I thought about enhancing your skills at baseball and football, but you were already pretty good at both."

"I'm trying to imagine you as a sporty little eight year old Nerd," Sarah told him. "It's not bad, actually."

"You didn't upload any intel?" Mary insisted.

"No, honey, there was no need to," Stephen assured her.

"Fine. But you're sleeping on the couch tonight."

"No problem, love. There's a movie marathon on TV and I was planning on watching it tonight anyway. But, fair warning, you'll miss me." He wagged his eyebrows suggestively at his wife. "You always do, plus you rarely leave me to spend an entire night alone on the couch."

"DAD! TMI!" Chuck squeaked.

"What? Your Mom may not want to admit it, but she's a cuddler."

"Can we please change the subject? What exactly did Sarah and I upload today?"

"It was the mother of all skills packs. Right now, if it functions as designed, you and Sarah are proficient in several forms of martial arts, languages, weapons, explosives, gymnastics, and the list goes on. You're basically the ultimate spies."

"I thought Chuck was the ultimate spy anyway," Sarah said with a smile. It earned her an appreciative hug from her boyfriend.

"Let me rephrase that. You two are now the ultimate of ultimate spies."

Chuck switched to his Sean Connery voice. "My name is Carmichael; Charles Carmichael."

"And which 'Carmichael Girl' am I?" Sarah purred sexily in his ear.

"You have so many names to choose from. Pick one."

Stephen cleared his throat to get their attention back. "We still have one issue unresolved. Chuck and Sarah may have uploaded CIA provided files."

"What exactly were those files?" Chuck asked.

"Graham wanted us to encode them and make them Intersect compatible. Then they would be uploaded to selected agents for a specific mission. Said files were programmed to self delete automatically following the upload. You see, son, the Intersect can have manifold uses. As a standalone system, it can accept various visual or auditory cues and perform a database search for related files. All files are encoded into images, which speeds up the whole process. It can also be used as a learning tool, giving a person certain skills they never possessed before or enhance other already available skills." Stephen stopped talking and logged on to Chuck's computer again. From there he accessed his mainframe and called up another section of the Intersect logs. "Dammit!"

"Oops," Chuck said lamely.

"It's safe to say that you did it again, son."

"Graham is not going to be pleased," Mary said. "Well, there's no sense beating around the bush. I'll call him. Follow me, all of you." She got up and led the way to the conference room across from her and Stephen's offices, where she initiated a video call.

-o-

Predictably, Director of Central Intelligence Langston Graham was not pleased at all. He had been looking forward to launching a very important operation and this was guaranteed to push the timetable back considerably. When Stephen and Mary finished narrating the day's events, with Hartley adding his input, Graham was already trying to find a solution to the unforeseen problem.

Stephen had one option for him. "You can send me the files again. I'll just have to run them through the encoder and prepare them for upload. It won't take long."

"I guess I can do that." Then it came to him. "The agents I have selected for this mission are good, but nowhere near as good as Chuck and his team used to be. They were the best of the best."

"What do you mean, Lang?" Mary asked.

Graham looked at his old partner and friend. "Maybe this will prove to be a blessing in disguise. Chuck, I'm reinstating you to active duty, along with your team and Ms. Walker."

"Excuse me?" Chuck was definitely surprised.

"I'm offering you temporary reinstatement as a Special Agent. Ms. Walker will get a temporary commission as a Special Agent as well. Provided you accept, of course. I could make it an order, but I'd rather you volunteered for this."

"Hold on, sir. I left the CIA."

"You should read the fine print on your contract. This is an emergency, so I can bring you back on active duty. It's a clause that has been rarely used, but I believe the extraordinary circumstances mandate it."

"What about Sarah? She was never an agent."

"She'll have to volunteer for this."

"I'm in," Sarah said without hesitation. "We'll do this together, Chuck." She looped an arm around his and looked at him reassuringly.

"Am I missing something here?"

"Director, Chuck and I are dating… exclusively."

"That explains a lot. Congratulations, by the way."

"Thank you sir," Chuck and Sarah chorused.

"But be careful not to allow your personal life to interfere with your performance. It's an important mission and a lot is riding on it."

"Lang, just to be on the safe side, I want Chuck and Sarah examined by medical professionals. At the slightest hint that something is off, I'm having Stephen remove the Intersect from them," Mary said.

"Of course. Handle it any way you see fit, but keep me in the loop. If all goes well, I want to see both Chuck and Sarah in my office on Monday."

"We'll be in touch," Chuck promised.

-o-

"Your Mom is pretty familiar with Graham," Sarah commented as she and Chuck were going back to his office.

"They were partners back in the day, before she was assigned to work with Dad."

"Mrs. B was a spy?"

"And one of the best, too," Chuck replied proudly. "I guess it runs in the family."

"She said something about having us examined by doctors as soon as possible and went to call them. Do you know who she was referring to?"

"Well, I guess Uncle Hartley could help here, but the opinion of a neurologist would be invaluable as well and… CRAP!"

"Chuck?"

"Ellie's a neurologist. We're in deep shit."

"No, _you_ are in deep shit," Sarah laughed. "Besides, it's all your fault."

"She's gonna kill me."

-o-

Ellie didn't kill him. But she did level an ice cold glare at her little brother for the twentieth time since coming over to the Orion building with Devon and being informed of the situation. "Sounds like something Chuck would do," she commented in exasperation. "Tell me what I need to do, Dad."

"I want you to confirm that the function of the Intersect is not adversely affecting them," Stephen told her.

"Sure, I can do that, provided I have access to suitable equipment."

"We've got it covered, dear Eleanor," Hartley said. "You can come with us downstairs to the Medical Systems Division. We have a wide selection of equipment you can choose from."

"We should monitor all their vitals, not just brain function," Devon pointed out.

"Come on, Sarah," Ellie said, wrapping an arm around the blonde's shoulders. "I'll examine you first. My idiot brother can wait."

"He's not…"

"Big sister's prerogative," Ellie smiled. "Besides, it's his fault you're into this mess."

Sarah allowed Ellie to lead her to a medical equipment testing area. Fortunately, all employees had left for home, so no one would disturb them. Ellie chose a top of the line EEG and had Sarah sit comfortably while she connected her to the machine. "I'm going to take readings both with and without the Intersect active." Devon also prepared an ECG.

"By the way, how does this thing activate?" Sarah addressed her question to Stephen.

"I've got it covered."

"Okay. Let's get the show on the road, Ellie," Sarah said bravely.

"Just relax. So far everything looks normal."

"Good to know. By the way, my niece has a soccer game on Saturday. Would you like to come with Devon? Chuck has already invited more of our friends."

"I'd love to. Your niece is a great kid." She then turned to her father. "Now you can help her activate the Intersect."

"We'll be there, Sarah," Devon added.

Stephen pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Sarah. He had several cards in his hand. "I'm going to show you some of these cards now. Try to will yourself to find the knowledge about the items pictured."

"I'm ready," Sarah confirmed. Stephen showed her the first card, which was a missile launcher. She looked at it and suddenly she knew how to operate and maintain it. "Wow! That was amazing!"

"Ellie, how did she do?" Mary asked.

"There was a spike in brain wave activity, but certainly within normal limits. Sarah, did you feel any dizziness, disorientation, blurring of vision and the like?"

"No, it was like remembering something out of the blue. The recall wouldn't have distracted me from any other task I might have been performing."

"Heart rate remained mostly the same, with a brief spike, undoubtedly due to her excitement," Devon said.

"The Key worked perfectly. With the earliest, and admittedly rather primitive, versions of the Intersect you would have experienced slight disorientation and there would be certain outward signs, resembling those of a brief seizure. But now the upload and recall process are so streamlined that you show no indications of experiencing a flash of information. Let me show you a few more cards."

Ellie and the others were very much satisfied with the results of Sarah's card test. Sarah herself was all smiles as she got up. And then it was Chuck's turn. Despite being somewhat apprehensive over his sister's eagerness to poke around in his brain, he passed the test with flying colors. But they were not done yet, as the ability to access certain skills had yet to be tested. Therefore, Stephen and Hartley presented Chuck and Sarah with a variety of situations requiring the use of martial arts and advanced gymnastics, as well as the operation of weapons, the latter on a simulator Orion was making for the Department of Defense and law enforcement agencies.

"I'll be damned," Sarah muttered when she reviewed her marksmanship scores. "I considered myself to be adequate with firearms, even though I never had to use them, but now… just wow."

"You did great," Chuck told her. "Dad, just out of curiosity, is it possible to suppress the activation of the Intersect?"

"You can try, son."

"Hold on." He picked up a grenade launcher. The Intersect attempted to initialize and give him the required information, but he managed to shut it off and figure it all out on his own. "It's doable," he concluded.

"Excellent," Stephen said enthusiastically. "Let's get out of here. I'm taking you all out to dinner. Hartley, will you be joining us?"

"Sure, I've got nothing else to do. My daughter is out with friends, so I could use the company."

"And I know just the place," Sarah said. "It's not far from here."

"Your Mom's restaurant?" Mary asked.

"It was my grandparents' originally. But yes, that's the one I was talking about."

"I know it's one of the best restaurants in town. Stephen and I go there from time to time. In fact we'd been going there even before I was formally introduced to Emma."

"Dad proposed to Mom there. He was so nervous that he knocked over a candle and set the tablecloth on fire. Fortunately, no more damage was done, but Grandma and Grandpa kept ribbing him about it for years." Everyone laughed as they went to gather their stuff before leaving for the restaurant.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: **From what I see you enjoyed the twist of the previous chapter. This is what follows. I'm sorry it took so long to update, but it couldn't be helped, especially not with yesterday's glitch that afflicted the site. At least you won't have to wait long for the next chapter.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18<strong>

"Did you guys see that? We won!" Molly bounced excitedly up and down. She was completely justified in doing so. She had scored the winning goal just before the game ended.

"Not only did we see the whole thing, but we captured it all on high definition video," Chuck said, hefting his Orion video camera. "Your Mommy and Daddy will be able to watch the game when they get back."

Molly jumped on Chuck and threw her arms around his neck, giving him a sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Chuck!"

"Who's in the mood for some ice cream?" Emma asked.

"Rocky Road?" Molly asked hopefully.

"What else, sweetie? Come on, let's go."

"She's really got the same taste in ice cream as you do," Chuck whispered to Sarah as they walked holding hands to his car.

"It runs in the family," she replied. "Her Mom, my Mom and Carina, all like Rocky Road, too."

-o-

The fun weekend over, they were all, and by all meaning the expanded CIA team, on Stephen's Gulfstream private jet, flying east for the meeting with Graham. At the Director's request, one more passenger was on the plane: Major John Casey.

"Anyone up for a game of cards to pass the time?" Morgan asked, holding up a deck.

"This isn't one of the marked decks we use on missions, is it?"

"Chuck, buddy, relax. I'd never misappropriate government issued gear. Besides, we returned all our equipment when we left the Agency."

"Apparently, not all," Sarah commented, pulling her jacket aside to reveal the holster with the Smith & Wesson 5906 9mm automatic Chuck had given her.

"This was Chuck's. He once bought several guns for Orion Computers, both for use by their security guards and for the development of aiming and training aids, as well as special ammunition," Bryce explained.

"You know, I was pretty shocked to discover that he has an arsenal under the couch," she said, taking a seat at the poker table. "He said something about always keeping weapons handy. Was it the ten or thirty foot rule?"

"And, as I told you, there's no need to worry about Molly finding it by accident."

"You certainly put my mind at ease, considering how much time she'll be spending at your place while we're gone." Chuck had once again pleasantly surprised Sarah by telling her little niece that she could use the gaming system in his living room even while they were away on business. Ellie, Devon and Alex Casey would let her into his apartment any time Emma agreed to bring her over.

"So, Casey, any hints as to what awaits us in Langley?" Bryce asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Larkin. General Beckman just told me to get my ass over there ASAP for a joint op," Casey replied. "Cut the deck and I'll deal."

"We should get something to drink. Obviously, it's too early for booze, but I believe ice tea will be an acceptable substitute." Morgan poured ice tea into several whiskey glasses and brought them to the table. Casey stuck a huge cigar in his mouth, but didn't light it, since no one else smoked.

Playing cards kept them all entertained throughout the flight. The conversation also included speculating about the mission they had been called upon to undertake. But not even Chuck and Sarah, who had the specific details uploaded into their brains, had any clue as to what it might be. Stephen had told them that these files were locked and would be accessed only when Graham gave them the key.

-o-

Chuck paused as he looked at the CIA headquarters building. He never expected to see it again so soon, not as an agent at any rate. He'd rather see it as an Orion Computers rep. Sarah must have sensed his discomfort and supportively gripped his arm.

"I didn't expect to find myself here either," she told him. "I rejected Graham's job offers twice and yet here I am, about to officially become an agent, at least temporarily."

"There is a bright side to it. We'll be together all the way in this."

"You can say that again. By the way, I had this fantasy for a long time: you and I, spying together. I'll finally get to live it out."

"Can I confess something, too?" Chuck asked. She nodded. "I had the same fantasy ever since we first worked together."

"Guys, come on," Bryce interrupted their private moment. "Graham is waiting for us upstairs."

They were all issued special passes at the security desk and made their way up to where the Director's office was located. His secretary looked up from her desk and smiled as she recognized them.

"Good morning guys. The Director is expecting you."

"Good morning Sydney," Chuck replied.

"Couldn't stay away for long, could you?"

"Nah, it's just for a short time. We'll go back to being civilians again, soon."

"You know he's going to do everything possible to make you change your mind, right?"

"Come on, who do you think you're talking to, Sydney? I can read the Bossman pretty well."

"You can go right in."

Graham rose from his seat to greet them as they entered his sanctum sanctorum. "I trust you had a pleasant flight," he said.

"It was fine," Chuck replied.

"Care to explain the mysterious summons, Boss?" Bryce asked.

"I will in due time. Did Chuck happen to mention that it's his fault you're all here?"

"He didn't go into details, but yes, he kind of did."

"Good thing he did. I wanted you to hear it from me and hear it straight."

"We're all ears, sir."

The intercom on Graham's desk crackled to life. "Sir, General Beckman is here."

"Show her in, Sydney."

"Right away, sir."

"Sorry I'm late," NSA Director Brigadier General Diane Beckman said.

"On the contrary, you're right on time."

"Thank you Director Graham. Shall we begin?"

"By all means. As you may have guessed, this is going to be another joint project. I requested Major Casey specifically, given how well he worked with you on the Zurich assignment."

"I have been fully brought up to speed on the very special nature of your assignment, and I'm talking about Agents Carmichael and…"

"Burton, General," Sarah supplied. "I'm Jenny Burton."

"You told me their, um, participation was rather accidental, right?"

"But fortuitous nonetheless," Graham said. "You know about Carmichael, and Burton is just as good. She has all it takes to do the job." He was only partly exaggerating. He'd seen what Sarah could do and he was damn certain that she'd make a great agent, if only a temporary one.

"Could someone please tell us too something?" Bryce asked. "All we know is that Chuck and Jenny uploaded something called the Intersect into their brains."

"Certainly. But first, there is something that needs to be taken care of. Chuck, Jenny, take a look at this." Graham held up a card. It had a strange design on it.

"And?" Chuck asked.

"Yes, what was that about?"

"Does the name Fulcrum ring a bell?"

_The CIA emblem_

_Tasking order for the creation of a special section called Fulcrum_

_List of operations undertaken by the Fulcrum Section_

_Its disbandment order_

_Notable agents assigned to it_

_Illegal operations undertaken by Fulcrum personnel following disbandment_

_The CIA emblem_

"Fuck me sideways," Chuck muttered.

"The card I showed you unlocked the files you uploaded," Graham explained. "Now you can access them."

"It was like having the CIA's entire file on Fulcrum flashing before my eyes," Sarah said.

"Well, I saw it with my own two eyes," Beckman commented. "It works."

"Of course it does. The people behind it are the best," Graham informed her.

"So, Boss, our mission has something to do with Fulcrum having become a rogue cabal?"

"Yes. Had they limited their membership to former CIA personnel, it would have been a matter for law enforcement. They do, however, have several active agents, analysts and other personnel in their ranks. They even recruited from the NSA and other agencies. We keep tabs on those we know for certain that are involved, but they have yet to lead us to the big fish, Fulcrum's actual leadership."

"I suppose you checked the original higher chain of command in the section," Sarah said.

"We did. And they all checked out. As best as we can tell, though without concrete evidence, the idea to keep Fulcrum alive and turn it into a mercenary organization originated close to but definitely below its original leadership. The problem is that there is too large a suspect pool."

"We have foiled a number of their plots over time," Beckman added. "And we have captured a number of their operatives, but we were unable to find anything about the people pulling the strings. This is where you come in."

"Certain leads turned up recently. The NSA and the CIA both picked up chatter from various sources about a big deal going down soon. Make no mistake, this is serious. We have the unique opportunity to decapitate Fulcrum by taking out its leadership."

"Boss, there might be a problem," Chuck interrupted. Beckman shot him a funny look over the informal manner, but kept quiet.

"Tell me."

"You said Fulcrum has both retired and active CIA and NSA people on board. We can't use any of our known aliases, or use Carmichael Enterprises as a cover. Jenny is new, so there is no way in hell they know her. But the rest of us, Casey included, have been in the game for quite a while now."

"Surely, you must have at least one unused ID," Chuck.

"As a matter of fact, I do. So does Bryce, I believe."

"I've never used an alias, but I have a few identities ready just in case," Morgan added.

"Same here," Casey said. "I have a couple of aliases to choose from."

"Then the matter is considered settled." Graham was satisfied. He was optimistic at the operation's prospects.

"One more thing, Boss," Chuck said. "Jenny mentioned something about the files flashing before her eyes. I, of course, experienced the exact same thing. Therefore, I suggest we refer to these recalls and any activations of the Intersect as 'flashes' from now on."

"Agreed. Now, we haven't been able to ascertain exactly what Fulcrum is currently up to, so you'll have to find out. But we know where it's going down." Graham paused for effect. "You're all going to Paris."

Chuck and Sarah turned to look at each other and smiled. Perhaps they could blow off some steam in the City of Love after the mission was over. It didn't escape the General's attention. She looked quizzically at Graham, who merely shrugged. She didn't press the issue. If Graham was OK with it, and on top of it all she knew of Carmichael's excellent reputation, she had no problem either.

"What's our cover going to be?" Casey, ever the pragmatist, asked.

"General Beckman and I believe it's better for you to go as tourists. You'll be less liable to attract any unwelcome attention that way."

"The files agents Carmichael and Burton uploaded have every scrap of intel we have on Fulcrum and its activities so far. We canvassed all our resources for them, so we believe you stand a good chance of accomplishing your mission." She handed out some folders. "Here you'll find the latest information you'll need, including a list of possible meeting places compiled from the most recent communications intercepts. In addition, you'll be given money and you're also expected to take care of all details pertinent to your covers. To his end, we have arranged for you to have the support of people we can trust implicitly. Good hunting, people."

The team left Graham's office. Sydney handed them envelopes containing money and other necessary items. Like General Beckman had said, they would have to take care of the details of their cover identities themselves, revealing them only to Graham and Beckman. All communications would be direct, handled by a select few staffers who had been with the two directors for years.

-o-

"Tell me, Chuck, who are you going to be for this mission?" Sarah asked.

"Obviously, I won't be Charles Carmichael. But I decided to become Chuck Charles."

"Chuck Charles? Not Charles Charles?"

"It has a better ring to it."

"That it does. What about you, guys?"

"I'll be Tom Anderson," Bryce replied.

"Showoff," Chuck muttered.

"Huh?" Sarah was confused.

"The Matrix," Chuck replied. "Tom Anderson was the lead character in the movie series."

"Figures," she said.

*grunt* (Get serious, people)

"What about you, Casey?"

"Meh, I'll just use an identity I've been keeping in reserve for just such an eventuality. I'll be Alexander Coburn. That just leaves Grimes."

"Morgan Grimes is no more," Morgan said. "From now on I'm Martin Grissom."

"Grissom… sounds familiar," Sarah said.

"Of course it does. Morgan's alias was partly inspired by Cyrus 'The Virus' Grissom."

"Like in the movie we watched together last week?"

"Exactly like in the movie," Chuck confirmed. "But Casey should be The Virus."

"Has he really killed more people than cancer?"

"No, but he's getting close," Bryce laughed.

"You can laugh about it all you want, but when the shit hits the fan, it's firepower that will save the day."

"We were not making fun of you, Casey," Sarah assured him. "We have our aliases now. So, what comes next?"

"Graham put us up in a motel. Once we get there we'll go over the package the Boss left for us in my room. Remember, from now on you're Jenny Burton."

"Chuck, I have used aliases before, you know."

"Good. Then all we have to do is book tickets and hotel rooms in Paris. We'll also take care of the weapons and other gear. You won't have to worry about them at the airport."

-o-

The motel was nothing special, but at least it was clean. Chuck and Sarah ended up sharing a room, as did Morgan and Bryce. Casey had a room all by himself. Chuck and Morgan went to get them all something to eat, as the establishment did not offer room service. Sarah stretched out on the comfortable bed and sighed. They had been traveling all morning and she was in desperate need of a massage by her boyfriend. At least she could count on him to get her something nice for lunch. There would be time for other activities later. As expected, he got her one of her favorite take out meals. They all met for lunch in Casey's room. While they were eating they used their laptops to book tickets to Paris and reserve hotel rooms. Using the Orion Computers jet was ruled out at first, as they didn't want to be seen arriving together. But then Morgan had an idea. They could land at a regional airport and make their way to Paris by car. Eventually, they settled on the airport at Rouen, which was close enough to Paris, yet not close enough to arouse suspicion by arriving together.

That night, Chuck and Sarah also decided on their cover. They were going as an engaged couple wanting to spend a romantic vacation in France. The others were also going to pretend to be tourists. They had even gone to the trouble of booking rooms at different hotels.

"How long do you think this mission is going to last, Chuck?" Sarah asked at one point, as they were cuddling together, watching TV, after having diligently studied the files with the latest information Graham had given them.

"I don't have a clue. It all depends on how fast we'll be able to identify the Fulcrum operatives and their objective, why?"

"I want us to spend some time together in Paris. No work, no mission, just the two of us."

He realized what she was hinting at. "Valentine's Day in Paris… sounds really good to me."

"Uh-huh. Think about it, Chuck. It's not going to be just good, it'll be perfect."

"We'll also have to get souvenirs for everyone back home."

"Sure. I'd hate to break the tradition. I want to get something nice for Molly, too. I could tell she'll miss us."

"We are spoiling her, Sarah."

"It's Jenny, Mr. Charles," she corrected him with a smile.

"So be it. You want to get in character early. I respect that. It shows dedication."

Chuck had already called his father and arranged for them to have the use of the Gulfstream. Stephen and Mary also asked them to meet with a client or two, but only if it didn't interfere with their mission.

"Chuck?"

"Yes, Jenny?"

"I just had an idea. It's about the mission."

"Tell me."

"You remember my French alias, Elana Truffaut, right?"

"Let me guess; you want to reuse it."

"Not necessarily, but I did pack my fake IDs in my stuff. So it's available for use if we actually need it. Besides, it may be better to appear as a Frenchwoman than as a tourist in certain situations."

"I agree. We won't draw any unwelcome attention that way."

"Since this small matter has been settled, there is another small matter requiring your attention, Chuck."

"And that is…?"

"I've started having symptoms of Chuck withdrawal," Sarah said huskily.

"Then we have to remedy that. You're liable to be cranky and unfocused otherwise and it simply won't do."

"Just be sure to give me enough to last me until we get to our hotel in Paris. Somehow I don't think we'll be able to join the Mile High Club on tomorrow's flight."

"Somehow, I think we won't have a problem joining the Mile High Club, babe."

"Don't. Call. Me. Babe."

"Have it any way you want, Jenny. Or is it Elana?"

"You'll meet Elana in France. Right now you have to keep Jenny happy."

"She'll be happy, all right. The promise comes with a money back guarantee," he joked.

-o-

The morning was cold and wet. Fortunately, there wasn't much traffic on the roads, so they made good time to the airport. The Orion Computers jet was fully fueled, a flight plan had been submitted and the crew was waiting for them. Using Stephen's plane had several advantages. Not only was it equipped with the latest in communication and entertainment suites, plus a well stocked wet bar, but it wasn't owned by the CIA or any of its front companies. This way, Fulcrum's moles could not track the movement of CIA and NSA personnel and warn their accomplices in France.

By the time they reached cruising altitude, Casey was already snoring away, wanting to get as much rest as possible before the actual mission began. It was a wise move, as he couldn't know beforehand how much sleep, if any at all, he would be able to get on any given day. When Morgan and Bryce also decided to grab some shuteye, Sarah saw the opportunity and took Chuck by the hand, dragging him to the lavatory. After a very nice little romp, he took her to the small partitioned and well soundproofed private room. Stephen had hired a top interior designer team to customize the cabin layout and they had performed wonders.

"Wow, your plane has a bedroom!"

"It's not big, but it's all ours for the entire flight."

"You really know how to show a lady a good time, Chuck."

"And it's going to get better. This is way more comfortable than the restroom."

"It has a lot more room, too. Joining the Mile High Club the traditional way was fun, but it was a bit cramped. I swear I almost pulled a few muscles in there."

"Then allow me to offer my services as a masseur, in addition to my boyfriend duties."

"I'd like the full package, please. By the way, what are we going to do until we finally get to Rouen?"

"Well, there is the in-flight meal. We'll also play poker, for good luck."

"I also want to talk to you about the release of the game."

"We'll squeeze it into our schedule."

"Kiss me," she said hungrily. He obliged her and soon they were rolling together on the bed, shedding articles of clothing.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** This time you got a faster update, as promised. Hope you enjoy it. Chuck and Sarah's V-Day will be posted in one of the subsequent chapters, however. Better late than never, I suppose. Without further ado…

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19<strong>

Several days had passed since the team arrived in Paris. During that time, they had been staking out the possible meet locations, as indicated by the intel Graham had given them. They used an ingenious system, too. Since they had two Intersects on the team, they could afford to split up. So, with Morgan coordinating from their base, Chuck was working with Casey, while Sarah was partnered with Bryce, covering two locations at the same time. They had already eliminated most of them, beginning with the least likely ones.

"What time is it?" Sarah asked Bryce, not taking her eyes off the building they were staking out.

"It's almost closing time," he replied and made a face as he took a sip of now cold coffee.

"At least this place doesn't have a back entrance. We've been here since early morning and nothing triggered the Intersect. If we strike out, we cross the place off of the list, like we did with the others before it."

"You know, I think what you and Chuck got in your heads is kind of cool."

"Uh-huh. I'll have to agree. If only…"

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Come on, Sarah, you can tell me."

"The Intersect will be removed once we complete the mission. But I wonder… can Chuck and I keep the skills and just have the intel removed?"

Bryce chuckled. "You know, he told me the exact same thing."

"He did?"

"Oh yeah. You guys are totally in sync. If you ask me, you two are a match made in heaven,"

"Thanks Bryce." For perhaps the thousandth time, Sarah looked at the ring she was wearing as part of pretending to be Chuck's fiancée. The moment she had received it had been a little awkward for both, as they really loved each other, and secretly both wanted to make it official someday, but couldn't help feeling that it was way too early to take such a huge step. It was only pretend, however, so they were able to find some humor in the situation and make light of it.

"No need to thank me, it's the truth," Bryce said, bringing her back to reality. "Plus, Chuck is my buddy. I want him to be happy. And you make him happy, Sarah… sorry, Jenny, I mean."

"It's OK. I like to be reminded I'm in reality Sarah Walker, even if I'm pretending to be someone else for the job. And I'm in love with Chuck Bartowski, not Mr. Charles."

The speaker of the secure comms system came to life. "Team two, how are things on your end? We came up dry here," Chuck informed them.

"Same here, but we're going to give it a few more minutes, just in case," Bryce replied. "Then we're heading back. I'll drop Jenny off at your hotel and retire for the evening."

"At least we covered most of the list. Only a few more possibilities left. We'll do them tomorrow. If nothing pops up on our radar, we'll have to contact the boss and reevaluate."

-o-

"Aaaaaaand… it's gone!" Chuck sent the email with his report for the day to Graham and Beckman. Then he relaxed, leaning back against the headboard of the king size four poster bed in the hotel room he and Sarah were staying in.

"Stakeouts are really boring," Sarah commented as she exited the bathroom.

"I guess they were even more so when you were casing your targets solo. At least I had company on most of my stakeouts, even though he doesn't talk much."

"Bryce is good company. He's very happy for you – for us, too."

"He and I go way back together. Since day one in Stanford, in fact," Chuck said.

"I know you were in the same fraternity."

"Ah, those were good times. Even after first he and then I were recruited by the CIA."

"What about today, how did it go with Casey?"

"The results you know. On a personal interaction level, like I said, he doesn't talk much, but we did OK. Remember, we're not only spies and partners, we're neighbors."

"Mom and I were skyping earlier. I asked her to suggest a good restaurant or two. She's been to Paris more times than I have and she knows the best places."

"What's wrong with the hotel's restaurant?"

"Nothing. It's great and all, but I thought we might want to try these as well." She held up a list of restaurants – a rather long list.

"Okay, I guess there's no harm in checking them out."

"Get ready, then. And don't forget your phone."

"I never go anywhere without my super duper Nerd accessories, you know that."

"Actually, you never let me forget." She kissed him. "By the way, I also gave the restaurant list to Morgan."

"Good girl," Chuck said approvingly. He then tossed her the keys to their rental car. "You drive."

"Do I get to choose the restaurant as well, then?"

"Of course you do get to choose the restaurant. I trust you."

"You'll change your mind when I inflict my cooking on you."

"Your mother is a celebrated restaurateur and you don't know how to cook?"

"Funny, isn't it?"

"It kind of is. Never mind though. Ellie will make you a master chef in no time at all."

"She won't allow her brother's girlfriend to be a bad cook, right?"

"Well, she did perform wonders with Bryce's girlfriend when we were still in college."

They drove to the restaurant, deliberately taking a roundabout route in order to do some sightseeing as well. Sarah had chosen a very nice place, and soon they were enjoying an excellent meal, while making small talk, deliberately avoiding any work related subjects. Once they were done, they paid and got up to leave. Chuck was already in the car buckling up while Sarah unfolded the side view mirror. Then she looked to make sure there was no traffic in the relatively narrow street before opening her door. And suddenly…

_A pirate ship_

_CIA file photo of one Thomas Delgado_

_Delgado's file_

_The word FULCRUM in bold letters_

_List of known and suspected associates_

_A pirate ship_

"Fuck," she hissed under her breath and quickly got behind the wheel.

"Everything OK?" Chuck asked casually.

"Depends on what OK is. I just flashed."

"What did you flash on?"

"Not what, who" she corrected. "See this guy that just passed us, the one in the tan trench coat?"

"Yes, I see him."

"Does the name Thomas Delgado ring a bell?"

_A pirate ship_

_CIA file photo of one Thomas Delgado_

_Delgado's file_

_The word FULCRUM in bold letters_

_List of known and suspected associates_

_A pirate ship_

"Yes it kind of does, actually. Let's follow him." He was ready to get out of the car, but Sarah stopped him.

"Hey, what if he recognizes you? I mean, have you two met?"

"Once, and it was years ago. I only remember him because of his scar. We didn't even talk back then, so I don't think he'll recognize me."

"Still, I should follow him, just in case. You can cover me from the car."

"We'll lose him," he cautioned.

"He's taking a cab! Problem solved," Sarah smiled.

"Follow that cab!" Chuck commanded. "Damn, I always wanted to say that."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Sarah laughed as she pulled into traffic. She had already flashed on surveillance techniques and knew how to follow a mark without arousing suspicion. "Call the others and let them know."

"I'm on it." He immediately called Bryce, who in turn promised to call Casey when told of the latest developments. "I'll be keeping you guys posted," Chuck said before hanging up.

"Well?"

"The game is on. Bryce will call Casey and then the Boss. Casey himself will call General Beckman and bring her up to speed as well. But for now it's all on us, so we better not lose him."

-o-

"Where the hell is ol' Scarface going?"

"I don't know, Chuck. I've never been to this neighborhood."

"Me neither." He called up a navigation app on his smart phone. "I'll be damned."

"Where are we, Chuck?"

"We're in the Quartier Pigalle, a red light district. Maybe Tommy's looking for some, ahem, action."

"Or he's about to meet a contact."

"That too. I'll have to follow him wherever he goes."

"It would look strange if we both went into a cathouse together," Sarah agreed. "I'm still worried though."

"You're forgetting something, me bonnie lass. I'm Special Agent Charles Carmichael, savvy?"

"Then Charles Carmichael better not do something stupid, because I'll have his ass if something happens to Chuck Bartowski. _My_ Chuck Bartowski."

Fortunately, Delgado went into a bar. It was one of those frequented by tourists located in the outskirts of the quarter, so Chuck and Sarah could safely go in as a couple. They took a table at a discreet corner and kept eyes on their mark. He spent about half an hour in there, during which time he drank a couple of beers. He didn't seem to be expecting anyone. At some point, he went to the restroom and Chuck followed him there, taking the stall next to Tommy's. He smiled as he heard a characteristic noise. He stayed for a little longer, grabbed the opportunity to take a quick leak, flushed the toilet, washed his hands and hurried to rejoin Sarah.

"I'm back."

"Yes, I can see that."

"Did anyone bother you while I was in the can?"

"No. One guy was making eyes at me, but I made it clear that his advances were completely unwelcome on my part."

He chuckled. Sarah's death glare could scare even the most hardened killer, if she put even a little effort into it. "Well, we're wasting our time here. Delgado's not meeting anyone."

"Are you sure?"

"Uh-huh. Do you know what he was doing in there?"

"I have a feeling you are about to tell me."

"He was snorting. Coke, crystal meth, I don't know, but he's a junkie."

"Maybe we can use that to our advantage, you know, to make him talk."

"You're learning fast."

"Thanks. I'll call Bryce."

"Not yet. I want to see where he'll go from here. Then Bryce and Casey can tail him."

"Perhaps I should do the surveillance with Casey. We agreed to always have one Intersect on station."

"I'll do it. You go back to the hotel and get some rest."

Somehow I don't think I'll be able to get any rest with you following a Fulcrum agent around town."

We can't afford to let him out of our sight. Bryce and I will take first shift. Then you and Casey can come and relieve us. You'll follow him to wherever he'll go in the morning."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

He got up, flagged down a waitress and paid for their drinks. "Let's go. He's paying too, so I want to be in the car before he gets out into the street."

-o-

The team kept up the surveillance on Tommy Delgado, or Scarface as they called him. Sarah and Casey followed him from his apartment to an office building in the morning. She didn't flash on anyone else, and neither did Chuck when he and Bryce took over. Up to that point, they had been too busy looking at anyone entering or leaving the building to think twice about the importance of the location. But when Chuck looked at the directory of businesses based there, he flashed. The flash included schematics of the building as well. He immediately called Sarah, who also flashed when he mentioned one specific company. In turn, she contacted Graham, who sent her the intercepted blueprints that had been included in the Intersect files.

"We're going to have to break in and see what intel we can recover," Chuck said during a brief conference with Sarah, Morgan and Casey in the latter's hotel room later in the afternoon.

"It won't be easy," Sarah commented. "The building has some good security measures and we don't have much equipment here. We're going to have to go the old fashioned way. Keep tabs on the security guards. I want to know about their rotations and routines."

"Already on it," Chuck replied. "I can hear you thinking. Tell me you have some good ideas."

"Graham emailed the blueprints and everything else the CIA and the NSA intercepted about this building. Now I see why it would have taken them too long to make a connection. They put together a huge number of scattered Fulcrum related files from both agencies in the Intersect."

"Dad is working on enhancing the Intersect to perform the exact same kind of connections our brains have been making. In the meantime, we have to come up with a plan."

"I can see if we can use some NSA magic to tap into their phone, fax and internet lines," Casey offered.

"Sure, it's a start," Morgan said. "Look up their number in the directory."

"I've been looking at our equipment. We have lock picking kits, and these." She held up a couple of briefcases. "What's in them?"

"Oh, just a few top of the line Orion products made exclusively for law enforcement and intelligence agencies," Chuck said. "This one has a universal keycard cloning device with integrated keypad code breaker. The other case has some equipment for tapping into camera feeds and looping them."

"We can use them." She set them aside for later.

"So far we have a pretty good picture of the guards' routine. There's not any sense in patrolling during business hours, but they are making their rounds regularly at night. We even know exactly when, without even bothering to keep eyes on them."

"They have the schedule posted behind the security desk," Morgan explained.

"Yes, but are they sticking to it?"

"That's what we are going to find out tonight. Chuck hacked into the security company and has more interesting news."

"The company assigns three eight-hour shifts of three guards each, rotating the teams between shifts on a weekly basis. Therefore, the same guards on duty tonight will be on duty for the rest of the week as well. And this works in our favor, as we can avoid surprises."

"Just tonight is not enough observation time to learn their particular routines, Bartowski," Casey pointed out.

"Sure, but we'll know the most important thing: if they are sticking to the patrol schedule or not. People tend to develop habits for such things."

"Chuck's right, you know. I once managed to do a job because one particular guard spent a minimum of twenty-five minutes in the can with a sports newspaper every night instead of being at his station," Sarah said. "And there is something else we'll need to consider. We'll need to rehearse and time our ingress in order to make sure we'll avoid any patrolling guards. Also, one of us has to be outside, monitoring guard movements and looping the appropriate cameras at the appropriate times."

"I'll do it," Morgan said.

"OK. We still need to find a space for our rehearsal."

"No problem," Chuck said smoothly. "Elana Truffaut will just rent a small warehouse and a van for us."

"I knew my French documents would come in handy," Sarah smiled. "Now is a good time to do some division of labor. Morgan will be outside in the van, providing remote support. Chuck and I will go in."

Casey tapped the blueprint thoughtfully. "It's a pretty big place for two people to cover quickly. Larkin and I should go in, too."

"You got a point there, big guy."

"Sure he does, Bryce. OK, here's the plan. In the morning Sarah will go rent us the warehouse – a large enough basement storage space will do – and the van. Morgan, you go with her. Be sure to have enough money with you to pay for everything, including any supplies she deems necessary. Bryce, you follow Delgado. Casey and I will stake out the building again. Who knows, we may even manage to ID more Fulcrum agents or even some of the people they'll be doing business with."

-o-

"Twenty steps to each floor," announced Morgan.

"Including landings?" Chuck asked.

"Yep. You want to go to the fourth floor. That's eighty steps. I'll be timing you. On my mark… GO!"

Chuck, Sarah, Bryce and Casey started going up the short step ladders placed before each one of them and back down again, repeating the cycle until they had climbed the equivalent of eighty steps.

"Eighty," Chuck said.

"So far so good. I've looped the camera. Open the fire door."

"Hang on." He used a special tool and had the door open in seconds. "Open sesame!"

"Go left, thirty meters! The clock is ticking!"

The team ran a thirty meter circuit and stopped in front of another door.

"We're here. How's our time?"

"You're doing great! Pick the lock."

"Allow me," Sarah smiled. No door could resist her wicked lock picking skills for long. She had it open in no time flat.

"You have twenty seconds to disable the alarm," Morgan reminded them.

"I know," Sarah replied. She grabbed a power tool and removed the hex head screws from the security system control panel, opening the cover and exposing its innards.

"Ten seconds."

"Jumper cables in place."

"Five seconds."

"Alarm disabled."

"Excellent work so far. You still have one more obstacle to overcome."

"I see it." Chuck knelt before a card reader-controlled electronic lock. It needed both a key card and a pass code.

"Your gadget, Chuck." Sarah handed him the deceptively small black box. He connected it to the lock system and pressed the start button. It worked its way through millions of permutations to find the correct pass code while simultaneously the passive RFID tag cloning device sensed the card reader's magnetic field and captured the code, then bouncing it back and making the reader believe a genuine smart card was being swiped.

"Now you guys are free to toss the offices for intel. The guards cannot see you from the hallways, as they can only see into the lobby."

"When we're through, we tell you and wait for you to give us the all clear and loop the cameras on our exfil route."

"And I'll be waiting for you in the van," Morgan finished. "The rehearsal went very well."

"Walker planned it very well," Casey praised Sarah.

"Thank you."

"We still need to devise an emergency exfiltration plan, just in case."

"The elevators are pretty close to the office."

"That's your plan, Sarah?" Bryce asked. "You want to walk right out the door?"

"Not exactly," she smiled wolfishly. "The elevators are locked at the ground floor level for the night, except for when the guards use them to make their rounds. We open the door to a shaft and hide inside it. No one will think to look in there and even if they do, we'll already be in a ventilation duct."

"She's got a point."

"Yeah, she does. Too bad we haven't got any compact individual high-speed ascenders in our gear. We could use those to go up the elevator cable to the machine room, the roof and from there escape down another building."

"The plan is as fool proof as it can be made," Casey said. "All we have to do is not screw this up, people."

"We won't," Chuck said confidently. "Just in case, let's do it again after a short break."


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** Fortunately it again took less than a week to update. Virtual cookies go to whoever guesses which movie the rehearsal and the actual execution of the mission were inspired from. Hint: The movie's story takes place in Canada.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20<strong>

"How did it go?" Sarah asked as Chuck and Bryce returned from another day of staking out the office building where the Fulcrum front business was located.

"Nothing to report," Chuck replied. "Our friend Scarface showed up as expected, but nothing else triggered the Intersect. We stayed and watched until all lights went out in the office."

"There were no changes in the guard rotation either," Bryce added.

"Shift change is at ten," Chuck reminded them.

"Then we go in as planned," Casey said.

"Yes. Since the shift runs from ten until six in the morning, we'll have more than enough time to do the job."

"I got a World Send package today," Casey informed them. You mentioned the ascenders yesterday, so I called Beckman and she arranged for an expedited delivery. And before you ask, she only used people she and Graham trust, so no need to worry about mission security."

"As we still have time to kill before going in, I suggest we check our gear again. Chuck, make sure your gadgets have new batteries. Same goes for the ascenders Casey received for us today. Morgan, you go ahead and park the van across the street from the building just before shift change. You can monitor the security guards until we get there for the infiltration phase. Be sure to time their rounds."

"I know my part in this, Sarah," Morgan assured her.

"All in all, we are ready."

-o-

They had decided to go in well after midnight, for two reasons: to allow the guards to settle into the tedium of their shift and to make sure the area would be practically deserted. After all the planning and effort that went into the mission, it wouldn't do to have it blown because some random person just happened to see them.

Morgan called them to report the shift change just as they finished checking and stowing their weapons and gear. As planned, he would call and report regularly until they showed up. He would also be sending them direct video feed if anyone showed up. Chuck and Sarah would use the Intersect to see if they could identify persons of interest.

"I'll go change," Sarah announced after packing the last of some necessary tools in a backpack. "You guys should change, too."

"Don't worry about us," Chuck told her.

"We'll be ready before you are," Casey added. Bryce just chuckled.

True to their word, the three men were ready before Sarah. She was still in the bathroom putting on her mission outfit. The men were dressed in black cargo pants and black sweaters. All had black ski masks and gloves in their bags, in addition to their equipment vests and harnesses. When the door to the bathroom opened, they casually glanced in that direction… and froze.

Sarah emerged clad in tight a zip-up black top, form fitting black pants made of a leather-like material and calf-high medium heeled lace-up boots with tractor soles. A belt with two tactical holsters for her Smith & Wesson pistols and a long black leather overcoat completed the outfit.

"Guys, are you OK? Say something."

"Something," Chuck mumbled, looking enraptured at his girlfriend.

"What's wrong?"

Bryce turned to Chuck. "Buddy, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yes, and I'm pretty sure Morgan would be thinking the same if he was here."

"Casey, what are they talking about?"

"I have no clue. But you do look like something out of a comic book or a movie."

"She'd definitely have given Kate Beckinsale a run for her money had she auditioned for the part," Chuck said, still unable to take his eyes off of her.

"What part, Chuck?" Sarah asked.

"Dude, you haven't watched the Underworld film series together yet?" Bryce asked Chuck in a mock accusing tone.

"Trust me, it's on the to do list. In fact, it just moved to the top of said list. And then I'll take her to see the latest one."

"Nerds," Sarah laughed and Casey grunted in sympathy. He grunted again, this time in mock disgust when Sarah laid the smack on her boyfriend.

-o-

The guards were all at the front desk again, one of them having just returned after making a round. Barring an emergency, they wouldn't leave their station for another hour. Chuck, Sarah, Bryce and Casey had arrived at the van not long ago. Naturally, Morgan had also expressed his admiration of Sarah's outfit and made much the same comments as his two other friends had.

"Having three guards seems like a waste of manpower," Bryce commented.

"It's a pretty big building. To adequately cover it, one man would be away from the front desk for far too long," Sarah said. She was speaking from experience, so no one doubted her.

"Let's go." Chuck grabbed a backpack and opened the side door of the van after checking to see if anyone happened to be walking by.

"We're right behind you, pal," Bryce said. Sarah was the last to leave the van, after depositing her overcoat on a rack in the cargo compartment.

Furtively entering an alley, the four quickly made their way to the side emergency exit, only they didn't bother to try to open the door, at least not right away. Instead, Chuck moved to a point under the lowest of the emergency stairwell windows and stood facing the outer wall of the building. He held up his hands to his sides, allowing Sarah to grip them. With the help of Bryce, who formed a step with his own hands, she was easily propelled upwards, ending up standing on Chuck's shoulders. Now she was able to reach the window. A careful examination revealed that it was not rigged with any alarms, designed as it was to open only from the inside and being over two meters from the ground. Sarah prepared to jimmy the latch, but noticed with surprised relief that it was unlocked. Obviously, a cleaning crew had forgotten to latch it closed when cleaning the outside of the glass pane and the frame.

"I'm going in."

"We'll be waiting. Don't be long."

"You know I can't stay away from you, Chuck," she smiled.

For once, Casey refrained from commenting, verbally or otherwise. He knew it was important to keep their spirits high while on the job.

The moment she stepped inside, Sarah paused to get her bearings. It was not just a simple matter of opening the emergency exit for the others. She would have to disable the alarm connected to it first and also tap into the building's security system, to allow Morgan to monitor the guards and loop the cameras as required. Thanks to the schematics of the building included in the Intersect, she knew the layout of the security system's wiring. Removing a false ceiling panel exposed a mass of wiring running along the edge of the ceiling. It was a simple matter to connect a couple of Chuck's little black boxes to some of those wires. Now, Morgan had absolute control over the security system and he promptly disabled the alarm on the emergency exit. Sarah pushed it open and gestured for the others to enter.

"Okay guys, the way is clear. It's eighty steps to the fourth floor. Go!" Morgan told them.

They set off single file, with Chuck leading, Sarah behind him, Bryce third and Casey bringing up the rear. They had been unencumbered by some last minute additions to their equipment during the rehearsals, but the added weight slowed them down only slightly. After all, they were in excellent shape.

"Fourth floor," Chuck announced. "I'm about to open the fire door."

"I have the camera nearest to you looped."

"Okie-dokie. We're in the hallway."

"You know where to go. Left for thirty meters," Morgan reminded them.

"Don't forget to loop the second camera."

"Oh ye of little faith… it's looped."

"Good job, buddy. Your turn honey."

Sarah smiled and knelt by the door, swiftly picking the lock. Once it was open, she dashed inside and made for the office security system control panel. She had done it dozens of times while rehearsing, so she could probably disable the alarm blindfolded. In the end she broke her own record and did it with seven seconds to spare. "The place is ours," she said smiling.

"Our turn, bro," Bryce said, nudging Chuck towards the door leading to the main office.

"Piece of cake," Chuck grinned. "Stand by for the access code."

"Did you get the card code?"

"Hang on… There, I got it."

"I have the access code. Bounce the card code back."

"Card swiped. Punch in the code."

"Roger that." Bryce entered a sequence of numbers on the pad. It beeped, a green light came on and the heavy secure door opened with an audible metallic click.

"Ladies first," Chuck said, holding the door open and bowing theatrically for Sarah to enter.

"Thank you, dear sir," she laughed.

"Cut it out, will you? We're here for work."

"Who says we can't enjoy doing our job, Casey? You know the drill, people. Anything of value is fair game. The more it looks like a burglary the better."

All four began methodically searching the place. They even found a hidden safe, which Sarah cracked in mere minutes.

"Chuck?"

"Yes?"

"Are we going to take any documents we come across, or photograph them and leave them where we found them? I'm asking because I just flashed on this here manifest."

"I have an Orion pocket-size portable scanner just for that. Give me the documents and just take everything of value, like cash, bearer bonds, jewelry, the works."

"And leave the safe open?"

"Not necessarily."

"I'll close it. I'd give anything to be a fly on the wall and see their faces when they get in, open the safe and find their money and valuables gone. But is it wise to tip them off that they have been broken into?"

"Insurance," Chuck replied. "Those guys are spies, just like us. They're bound to check the security logs and will see that an entry was made tonight. And the first thing they'll do is check to see if they've been compromised, hence the need to make it look like a run of the mill burglary."

"Well, they _are_ using a financial firm as a cover. It's a natural target for high-end thieves like me… or rather like I used to be."

"You got the gist. I'll also take a look at their legitimate client list, just in case any of them are fronts for illegal operations."

Morgan's voice crackled through their earpieces. "One of the guards just went for his rounds. He took elevator two."

"Track his progress. Let us know when he's on our floor."

"It will be some time before you guys have to worry about him. I'm just giving you a heads-up." The next thing they heard was a soft pop.

"Morgan, did you just open a can of grape soda?" Sarah asked. It amazed her that The Bearded One never went anywhere without even a small supply of his 'personal Kryptonite' as he called his favorite soft drink.

"Uh-huh."

"Just don't spill it all over the gear. I don't want a repeat of the Berlin incident," Bryce cautioned.

"Are you going to be rubbing it in my face for much longer? It was two years ago, dude!"

"What happened in Berlin?" Sarah and Casey asked in unison.

"I'll tell you some other time," Chuck replied.

"I'll hold you to that."

"Besides," Morgan continued. "The console is the latest model, completely waterproof."

"Sarah, where are you going?"

"I'm just going to check if we left anything in the lobby, Chuck."

"We didn't. I checked just as we went in," Casey informed her.

"The guard just reached the top floor," Morgan reported.

"I hear you," Chuck replied. "Guys, which one of you has the package with the special replacement network cards?"

Bryce had it. "Here you go, bro." He handed it over and Chuck got to work on replacing the existing network cards in the office computers with his own, just like he'd done in Zurich.

"You may want to be real quiet now," Morgan said. "He's on the fourth."

"Be sure to let us know the second he's on his way down to the third."

Morgan watched as the security guard walked along the hallway, pausing now and then to look into the lobbies of those offices with glass walls and doors. He was also checking the function of the cameras with his colleagues downstairs. Fortunately, Morgan had un-looped them the second his friends had gone inside the target office.

"All clear," Morgan said into the mike.

"There's a ton of stuff we need to go through here. The guards will probably make another couple of rounds before we're done."

The next time Chuck checked his watch it was almost four in the morning. They had been in there for just shy of three hours. Just as he'd predicted, the guards had been making their rounds, blissfully unaware of what was going on in a certain fourth floor office.

"I believe we've gone through everything," Bryce said at one point.

"Good, because the flashes I had so far are beginning to give me a headache," Sarah complained.

"Me too," Chuck added.

"You too? Then we should talk to Ellie about it. If it is a side effect…"

"No need to worry. I'm sure it's because we're tired. We haven't been getting much sleep lately."

"Oh. You're probably right."

"Now's your chance to get outta there, guys," Morgan said. "Don't forget to reactivate the alarm and lock the doors behind you."

"OK. The moment you see us, leave the van and come to us. We'll give you a lift back to the hotel."

"I know it'll look better that way, but we have some expensive equipment in the van. We shouldn't just leave it here. I'll drive off. They're not looking outside much anyway, so I doubt they'll notice anything. Come at the warehouse to pick me up."

"See you there, buddy."

They ran down the stairs to the window Sarah had entered the building through, pausing only to remove the equipment they had used to tap into the security system. From there, all they had to do was get to their cars.

-o-

"Your coat, Sarah," Morgan said and handed her the black overcoat.

She took it gratefully, as it was a cold night. "Thanks. So, what now?"

"It's not even midnight in the States. Let's call Graham and give him a preliminary report once we get back to base."

They split up, got into their cars and made it to the base with no problems. Morgan immediately activated the communications and initiated a video call.

"I assume you have something good to report," Graham said. He noticed that they all looked satisfied with the night's work, if a bit haggard.

"Yes Boss," Chuck said. "We managed to gain entry into the office used by Fulcrum personnel. It is now bugged to the hilt. The moment they turn their computers on you'll be getting their data."

"We also have plenty of cash to play with," Bryce added. "They're bound to notice our entry when they check the security system logs, so we made it look like a burglary plain and simple." He waved a wad of cash in front of the webcam.

"We took care to leave everything else in place, making it look like we had no interest in their paperwork whatsoever," Sarah finished this part of the report.

"I assume you retrieved valuable information."

"Actually, we did. It's all digitized and will be sent to you immediately. Sarah and I also flashed a few times. We can supply you with the identities of several Fulcrum agents and contacts."

"You did great, people. Get some rest and go over the intel later. If you flash on anything else, let me know and follow up if it's actionable. By the way, did you uncover any clues as to the identity of Fulcrum's leaders?"

"No, at least not at first glance. We'll get back to you when we review the intel."

"OK. Don't worry about keeping up the surveillance on Delgado and his office. I've sent another trusted team to take over from you. Thanks again for all your hard work. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Boss. And it's morning here."

"Smartass," Graham smiled and signed off.

"I'll go change," Sarah said, picking up the bag containing her street clothes and heading for the bathroom.

"Just don't fall asleep in there," Chuck yawned.

She just snorted. "You know perfectly well I like to fall asleep next to you."

They all made it to their respective hotels with no trouble. In their room, Chuck and Sarah barely had enough energy left to change into their PJs before getting in bed and falling into a deep sleep cuddled together.

-o-

When Sarah woke up, she immediately felt lonely for some reason. Patting Chuck's side of the bed, she discovered that he wasn't there. And then she heard voices speaking in French. She was already fluent in it, so she didn't need the Intersect to follow the conversation. Chuck had obviously ordered something from room service.

"You're awake," he said as he returned to their room's main area pushing a cart.

"Uh-huh. It smells delicious."

"I took the liberty of ordering us some breakfast, which I'm going to serve you in bed."

"I can think of no better way to begin our day. Besides, we'll both need our strength."

"We have work to do," he reminded her.

"I haven't forgotten. But if we split it, I reckon we'll be done early enough." She smiled and gave him a predatory look. "And, after we submit our report, I expect you to ravish me."

He actually laughed.

She shot him a dirty look. "You should know me better, Charles Irving Bartowski. I get cranky when I don't get my Chuck fix."

"Relax. I also want my Sarah fix. Let's have our breakfast, do the intel review, report our findings, and then we can ravish each other to our hearts' content." He held a strawberry covered in whipped cream temptingly in front of her. She took a big bite out of it, fortunately without biting Chuck's fingers as well.

After finishing their breakfast, they decided that work could wait for another thirty minutes while they took a shower together, thereby getting a foretaste of what was to come later.

Later, they were both sitting up in bed, propped up against the headboard, poring into the documents scanned in the Fulcrum office. In addition to a laptop computer, each had a small digital recorder to recite any Intersect information into.

"Any flashes yet?" Chuck asked.

"Nope. Haven't had any since the shipping manifest."

"You didn't tell me what it was all about."

"All I know is that Fulcrum is interested in shipping something to a client in the Far East." For good measure she also called up said manifest on her computer. "It says office furniture, but I flashed on it for some reason."

"But you didn't get anything specific."

"No."

"I guess it's one of the problems of having to rely on what's available. Has the shipment gone out yet?"

"This is just a draft. The manifest hasn't been filed with Customs and I found no bills of lading."

"Look at this. It says it's pending approval by the board of directors."

"So?"

"Fulcrum is not a normal company. The 'board of directors' thing must be a thinly veiled reference to their leaders. Graham was right. Something big is about to go down."

"For some reason I don't think Fulcrum's bosses are selling office furniture."

"It must be something way more sinister."

"Chuck, the shipment is going to Thailand."

"Thailand… the Golden Triangle," he deduced.

"My thoughts exactly," she agreed. "They must be doing business with drug traffickers. If the deal goes down, half the world will be flooded with top quality heroin."

"And the money Fulcrum is going to make from it will go towards furthering their own nefarious goals."

"There must be more clues in these documents," Chuck said and began reading again. Sarah followed suit.

"A-HA! Got 'em!"

"Tell me."

"This is an invoice for a hotel suite reservation. Whoever is staying there is doing business with Fulcrum."

"And since the deal is important, he must be here to meet Fulcrum's leaders."

"Which means that we can identify them," Chuck finished the sentence for her.

"Bam, mission complete," she agreed. "I'll call the others."

"I'll call Graham and Beckman."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N:** As it turns out, it's not really surprising that you didn't identify the movie the previous chapter drew from. It's Foolproof, a 2003 Canadian movie starring Ryan Reynolds, Kristin Booth and others, including David Suchet. I liked it a lot and heartily recommend it to you. Now, on to the story.

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><p><strong>Chapter 21<strong>

"It wouldn't surprise me," Graham said. "A lot of operations undertaken when Fulcrum was a legitimate unit in the Agency took place in the Far East. I'll kick Beckman out of bed and give her a heads-up."

"Yeah, we're sorry to have woken you up, Boss."

"Don't sweat about it, Chuck. You guys did the right thing letting me know. It also proves what your father always said: The Intersect is worthless without people who can correctly interpret its findings and put the pieces of the puzzle together."

Graham hung up. Chuck and Sarah looked at each other. She spoke first. "I told Morgan everything. He'll bring Bryce and Casey up to speed."

"Excellent. This means we're free to plan our next move."

"Let me guess. You want to put the client under surveillance."

"It's the natural thing to do. The easiest, too," he nodded. "We know the hotel. All I'll have to do is hack into their reservations database, find the suite, go there and load it with bugs."

"And with any luck, we'll be able to learn all about the meeting with Fulcrum's leaders."

"Naturally, we'll be there to identify them and send the information up the chain of command for further dissemination and action."

"Leaving us free to have our V-Day in Paris," she finished smiling.

-o-

And so, Chuck and Sarah walked into one of Paris' most luxurious hotels. They'd done a quick web search first and knew what the staff uniforms consisted of. Under their overcoats, they were wearing outfits just like the aforementioned uniforms. Specifically, Chuck wore a pair of black slacks, a crisp white dress shirt, a black vest and a red and blue striped tie. Sarah's getup was similar, but with a skirt substituting for pants and she also had a scarf in a pocket to use in lieu of a tie. Her shoes were sensible low-heeled ones, as would be expected of a hotel staffer who spent a lot of time on her feet. Hidden in her handbag was a keycard cloning device, which they were going to use to make a pass key. They also had appropriate name tags.

As they'd told Graham, Chuck had already hacked into the hotel's database and knew which suite had been reserved for Fulcrum's Thai business partner. He and Sarah had also flashed on the name. Luang Kourpasiri was one of the least known but most powerful drug lords operating out of the Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia. An association with Fulcrum could only mean trouble, as it would give the rogue cabal access to virtually unlimited funding.

No one gave them a second glance as they entered the lobby and headed in the direction of the café and bar. After all, it was a popular hangout for both Parisians and tourists. Only they didn't go there, going instead to the restrooms and a few minutes later back into the lobby. No one paid any attention as they took an elevator to the floor where the suite reserved for the drug dealer was located. The operation swung into high gear. They had checked the reservations and noticed that the next door suite was unoccupied. It was an easy matter to use the card cloning device to break into it, wanting to use it as a temporary base.

Their coats were left on the bed. Sarah went and positioned a miniature wireless camera in the hallway, carefully concealing it. This way she could see everything going on outside the rooms and warn Chuck if anything was wrong. Chuck himself went out for a few minutes and returned with a room service cart that held a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket.

"You want us to drink champagne on the job?" Sarah asked suspiciously.

"No, silly, it's for my cover, just in case they find me in there before I have the chance to get out. I need a reason for my presence."

"Smart," she smiled. "Sometimes I forget you've got tons of experience in this game."

"For a rookie, you're not half bad yourself."

"Come to think about it, we should have probably gotten the others to keep watch in the lobby and from the outside."

"You're forgetting one thing."

"What?"

"We two are the only ones who know what the mark looks like."

"We could have split up," she insisted.

"Yeah, somehow I don't think Bryce or Casey would make as beautiful a concierge as you."

Sarah laughed. "One of them could still take your place."

"Hey, this is my plan. I'm not sitting in the sidelines."

"You and your stupid pride," she mocked him.

"Whatever," he said disinterestedly. "I'm going next door to plant the bugs."

"I'll be waiting here."

-o-

Chuck easily entered the suite reserved for Kourpasiri, or Scarface Two as they had gotten to call him, pushing the room service cart along. Once inside, he wasted no time planting a bug in the telephone and concealing other bugs throughout the suite. As a finishing touch, he concealed a wi-fi interceptor device in the closet. This way they would be able to monitor the marks' emails and online chats.

"They're coming," Sarah warned him. "Hurry."

"I've got everything under control," he assured her.

"I know you do, but they've turned out in force."

"How many?"

"Seven," she replied. "No, wait. More just came in the other elevator. There are thirteen bad guys out there. And not all of them are Asians. I'm guessing some must be Fulcrum."

"Relax, I've got it."

The door opened. A Thai man immediately spotted Chuck and his hand went under the lapel of his jacket.

"Ah, bonsoir. Welcome to your suite," Chuck said smoothly.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was just leaving you a complimentary bottle of champagne. Your suite was booked with full extras, Monsieur."

"Thank you." Kourpasiri brushed past his henchmen and handed Chuck a folded fifty Euro bill.

"You are welcome. Please don't hesitate to call if you need anything."

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Monsieur."

Chuck began to make his exit politely and discreetly, just like a hotel staff member would be expected to do. But one of the people entering the room suddenly stood in his way.

"I know you," the man stated bluntly.

"Then you were a guest in our hotel before, Monsieur?" Chuck ventured. He, of course, had also recognized the other man. _Crap,_ he thought.

"No, but I can swear I've seen you before."

"I cannot imagine where."

"It'll come to me." He furrowed his brow in thought for a moment. Next door, Sarah was listening in on the conversation and fidgeting nervously. The man talking to Chuck was speaking with an American accent, so he must be Fulcrum. What if he recognized Agent Carmichael? Shit, they should have made sure to have backup available.

"In the meantime, if you need anything, and I mean anything, just ask for Jacques. He'll come through for you." Chuck said smoothly.

"You're not Jacques?"

Chuck smiled and pointed at his name tag. "I'm Charles. But Jacques is the best."

"Charles, as in… Charles Carmichael!" He turned to his colleagues. "He's CIA!" Immediately, the Thais and the Fulcrum agents ganged up and pounced on Chuck. He decked a couple of them, but in the narrow confines of the room's entryway even his Intersect-enhanced skills couldn't help much.

Sarah had heard everything and now she was frantic. She whipped out her cell phone and called Bryce.

"Where have you guys gone?" Bryce answered the phone.

"Chuck and I went to bug the hotel suite Fulcrum booked for their business associate. The Thais arrived, but were accompanied by Fulcrum agents. One of them made Chuck."

"Is he OK?" Bryce was suddenly worried.

"They didn't find his mike yet, so I can hear everything. They'll be taking him to one of their bases."

"Sarah, listen to me. Don't try anything stupid in the hotel. There are too many innocent people around."

"I know," she said, suddenly feeling helpless. "But we have to do something!"

"Where exactly are you now?"

"I'm in the suite next door."

"Don't break cover. Those guys are by now suspicious of everything. Wait until they leave and then go downstairs to your car. Meet us back at the base."

"All right," she replied. Then she had an idea. "You go to the base. I'll stay here and monitor the bugs Chuck planted. Maybe I can find out where they're taking him."

"Call us the second you have anything."

"Of course," she said and hung up. Then she went to the laptop that lay open on the bed. Putting the headphones on, she listened attentively to the conversations taking place next door. Thanks to the Intersect she could understand perfectly what was being said, even though it was in Thai. There was one problem though. They were talking about anything else but where the Fulcrum agents had taken Chuck. And then she heard something that chilled her blood: the boss was no longer in the suite, having decided to expedite the meeting. And she needed to know where it would be taking place. Chuck had saved her life once. It was time to return the favor… time to take matters into her own hands.

The Thais left in the suite after their boss left with the Fulcrum agents were thoroughly enjoying themselves, drinking the champagne Chuck had brought, guzzling down more drinks from the mini bar and watching TV. One of them had just gone to the can when there was a knock on the door.

"Yes?" The man who answered it took a good look at the tall beautiful blonde concierge.

"Mr. Kourpasiri asked me to come up here and see if you need anything," she said, speaking with a very convincing French accent.

"We're cool, for now." The man had obviously lived in the US. It was evident in his speech and mannerisms. "Are you part of the entertainment package as well, doll?"

Sarah's answer was a punch to the nose and a kick in the balls. The man went down fast. His friends saw what happened and tried to reach for their weapons that were lying discarded on sofa. But in the next instant a blonde hurricane was in their midst, punches and kicks flying out. The only one to escape Sarah's wrath was watching fearfully from the doorway to the bathroom as she pummeled his friends to unconsciousness one after the other. Knowing that if he stayed it would soon be his turn, he considered discretion to be the better part of valor and fled, not even bothering to wait for the elevator. He ran down the stairs, out the lobby and got into one of their rental cars, speeding away.

Meanwhile, the fracas was over and Sarah was surveying the devastation she had just wrought with no small amount of satisfaction. Only then did it occur to her that she had no one to interrogate. They were all out cold and would not be waking up anytime soon.

"I guess I got a little carried away," she shrugged. Even the Intersect was no substitute for years of experience in the spy business. "Note to self: Leave at least one bad guy conscious next time." With nothing else to do, she went through the Thais' stuff, hoping to find a lead. She came up dry. Well, mostly dry, as they had a lot of cash with them, which she took. Sarah was a firm believer in keeping to the old adage of 'to the victor go the spoils'. Plus, with the cash she would be able to purchase several sets of lingerie ranging from classically sexy to downright slutty. They would make her Valentine's Day in Paris with Chuck interesting – to say the least.

"Any news, Sarah?" Bryce asked when she called him again.

"I subdued Kourpasiri's goons, but no one is in a condition to talk right now. I went a little overboard on the ass-kicking."

"Wow. I wish I was there to see it."

"Any clues as to where Chuck is?"

"Don't worry about him. He'll let us know when the time is right."

"His emergency locator," she guessed, kicking herself for not remembering it earlier.

"Yup, and he will activate it soon. Trust me."

"What if they find it?"

"No chance in hell, Sarah," Bryce said emphatically.

"OK. I'll tie those clowns up. Have the support team come over here to collect them."

"Will do."

-o-

Chuck had been taken to a big house in the suburbs. Even though his captors had put a hood over his head, the fabric was thin enough to enable him to have at least a partial view of his surroundings.

"Charles Carmichael," said a somewhat familiar voice. The hood was removed. "Nice to make your acquaintance."

He focused on the man speaking. Not only the voice, but the face was familiar as well. "Mr. Roark," he nodded politely.

Ted Roark got a good look at Chuck and his eyes widened in recognition. "I haven't seen you since you were a kid, but you're still the spitting image of your father."

"And you are still the same conniving bastard you were back then, Ted." Now was the time. He pressed the side of his right shoe heel against the chair he was tied to, activating his emergency locator beacon. It was a gadget of his own design, incorporating a voice transmitter as well.

"You know him?" Kourpasiri asked Roark.

"Yes. I know his family, too."

"Still smarting from the battering the family business gave Roark Instruments in court, huh? Is that why you joined Fulcrum?"

"You are pretty cocky for someone who is about to be forced to tell us everything he knows," one of Roark's henchmen said. Chuck flashed on him and identified him as Vincent Smith.

"Funny. You were supposed to be dead, Mr. Smith. I don't believe in ghosts, but you seem to be like the proverbial bad penny, as you have been reported killed on a number of occasions. The Nerd in me would compare you to the High Priest Imhotep from the Mummy movies. You kind of look like the actor, too. So, I suppose you're going to torture me now?"

"It would be unprofessional not to."

"Of course it would. And we are, if anything, professionals."

"Vincent, I think you can wait until our esteemed associates and I retire upstairs to do business. Then you can do anything your nature compels you to. You can even eat him. On second thought, I need you to go over some parts of the deal with me. Someone else can deal with Chuck here."

"I'll do it," a petite brunette piped up. Chuck flashed on her and identified her as one Lizzie Shafai, active CIA agent from the Middle East section.

"She's an expert interrogator," Vincent confirmed.

"OK, Mr. Carmichael. Let's see how long you'll last."

"Do your worst," Chuck said disinterestedly, clasping his hands behind his head, the very picture of relaxation.

"You picked your handcuffs?" Roark asked.

"It would have been unprofessional not to," Chuck grinned, looking at Vincent, who actually laughed. The rest of the Fulcrum agents were not so amused and kept their weapons aimed at the captive.

-o-

The moment Chuck's emergency locator was activated, his team mates wasted no time. They requested backup and got on the road. All had changed into their mission gear and in the back of their van Morgan was getting satellite photos of the area. The locator's signal put Chuck in a house located in one of Paris' affluent suburbs. They got there soon and parked some distance from it, waiting for the other team to arrive and reconnoitering the area. Not wanting to arouse suspicion, no guards had been posted on the outside of the house. While they were watching, a car parked in the driveway and its driver ran inside.

Roark, Kourpasiri and others were gathered around a conference table, discussing their business plans, when someone entered, approached the Thai drug lord and whispered something in his ear.

"Let him in. Gentlemen, forgive the interruption, but it appears to be an urgent matter." An anxious looking man entered and approached his boss. "Why aren't you at the hotel?" Kourpasiri asked.

"Boss, I was at the hotel with the others, but while we were sitting around, a giant blonde she-male entered and beat the others up. Boss, I think she killed them all. I escaped only because I had gone to the bathroom and she didn't see me."

"She must be working with the CIA agent we have downstairs," Kourpasiri guessed.

"We'll continue the discussion later," Roark declared after consulting with his colleagues. "Right now we must find out what is going on." He rose and led the way downstairs.

Lizzie had left Chuck alone for a while, wanting to let him stew. His calm demeanor confounded her. As an agent he should know that everyone talked at one point, yet he was still a really cool customer. Clearly, she had to devise some new tactics and come up with a different approach.

"Chuck, isn't it? That's how Mr. Roark called you."

"It's my name."

"I don't want to bother my superiors and their friends upstairs, so I'll start by making you an offer. You can join us and become a member of Fulcrum. I think you'll find the rewards very appealing."

"Really?"

"Think of all the fun we can have, Chuck." She straddled his lap and ground against his groin.

"LEAVE MY MAN ALONE, YOU SKANK!"

Gaining entry into the house through the garage had been easy for Sarah, Casey, Bryce and the other CIA/NSA team. They had disposed of three guards on the way to the large downstairs living room. When Sarah realized what Lizzie was about to do to Chuck, she saw red and flashed on several kinds of martial arts and weapon skills.

At the same time, Roark, Kourpasiri and the other major players were making their way down the stairs. The henchman who had been lucky enough to escape Sarah's attention at the hotel paled. "It's the Giant Blonde She-Male! RUN!" He was so afraid of her that he crashed through a window in his frantic effort to escape. Some of the other bad guys raised their weapons to fire at Sarah, but never got the chance. Casey and Bryce scythed them down.

Sarah drew her Smith & Wesson pistols and started running towards Chuck and Lizzie, having identified the latter courtesy of the Intersect. Two men tried to block her, but she shot out their kneecaps without even slowing down. She jumped on a table, performed a flawless somersault and gave the same treatment to two more men before she even landed. And then only a petite brunette Fulcrum slut stood between her and her boyfriend. She ignored the chaos, carnage and mayhem taking place all around them as the combined CIA and NSA teams cleared the house and fixed Lizzie with a deadly glare.

"Are you still on him? I thought I told you to leave him alone. Now, I'm done playing nice."

Lizzie was not afraid – much. The tall blonde facing her was obviously very much in love and thus had broken the cardinal rule of spying, something guaranteed to lead to mistakes. "You think I'd be scared of you? The blond hair dye must really kill brain cells, I guess. No matter what you do, I'll make sure your love story gets a very sad ending."

That was a major no-no of the first magnitude. First of all, Sarah was a natural blonde and, second, even though she knew Chuck would never step out on her, she couldn't help but feel possessive of him. Having another woman putting her hands, or any other part of her anatomy, for what the matter, on him was unacceptable. Especially if said woman wanted to torture him.

She holstered her guns. "Just for that, prepare to get your scrawny ass kicked, bitch."

"Bring it on, Blondie."

The two women warily circled, sizing each other up. Then Lizzie lashed out with a spin kick. Sarah easily avoided it, answering with a sharp jab to the gut, which her opponent barely managed to block, and only through sheer luck. Lizzie attempted to draw a fighting knife, which was knocked out of her hand by one of Sarah's throwing knives. Chuck was untying himself, not taking his eyes off of the two women. He almost felt sorry for Lizzie. Sarah looked like she was out for blood. As he watched, Sarah gained the upper hand, eventually knocking Lizzie unconscious with a right hook to the jaw.

"Oh, good, you're up," she said, seeing him free. The area had been cleared, so she hugged him. Then she backed up and glared at him. "She didn't do this to you, did she?" Sarah was referring to something hard she felt in his pants.

"Hell no. That was all you. It was really hot to watch."

"Let's go see if we can do anything to help the others. And when we're done with everything, reports to Graham included, I want you to take me back to our room and plow me. I need to burn off a lot of excess adrenaline," she whispered in his ear and handed him one of her guns.

"Sure, anything you want. I owe you. By the way, how did this Giant Blonde She-Male thing come up?"

"I'll tell you later."

The operation was a huge success. All of Fulcrum's leaders and a number of their senior operatives were dead or captured. In addition, a large cache of documents, financial assets and weapons was recovered. The rogue organization had been taken down in one fell swoop. Graham and Beckman were understandably very pleased.

When the formalities of the reports were over and done with, Sarah and Chuck were finally able to retire to their room. The moment the door closed behind them, Sarah pounced. She grabbed Chuck and kissed him hungrily.

"Take it easy, Sarah. We've got all night."

"Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, Chuck. I want a foretaste of what's to come."

"Like I said, anything you want."

"Undress me, lover," she commanded imperiously. Chuck grinned and kissed her as his fingers closed around the zipper of her black top and began pulling it open.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:** It's nice to see you liked the previous chapter and also noticed the tribute to Wepdiggy's amazing Adorable Psycho. It was also something I'd like to have seen in the actual show instead of the Intersect adversely affecting Sarah: The Giant Blonde She-Male souped-up with the Intersect ass-kicking skills. About the new chapter: It took some serious restraint to keep it within the T rating and not turn it into a full blown smut fest. Still, I hope you will enjoy a fair amount of fluff.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 22<strong>

_Bleep. Bleep-beep-bleep…Bang! Pow! Click. Bzzzzt…Bleep! Beep!_ The sounds were not loud enough to be annoying, but just enough to be noticeable. Sarah opened one eye and focused it on the source of the beeping and bleeping. Chuck was right beside her in bed, resting against the headboard and playing a game on his phone.

"Really, Chuck? You're playing a game? On Valentine's Day? You should have woken me up and we'd play more interesting games together. Or… you could have taken advantage of me as I slept."

He leaned down and kissed her. "You needed to get some rest. So did I, especially after what happened last night. Besides, I like watching you sleep."

"Some people would be seriously creeped out by such a confession."

"Not necessarily," he countered. "We are a couple. Plus, the way your expression changes depending on what you're dreaming is adorable."

"What time is it?" Sarah asked and yawned.

"It's still early enough. In any case, happy Valentine's Day, Sarah."

"Happy Valentine's Day to you too, Chuck."

"Let's take a shower, have breakfast and begin our day," he said, scooping her up. As he did, the sheets fell off of her naked body. Chuck carried her to the bathroom, kicking the door closed behind him.

Later, Chuck and Sarah were enjoying a late breakfast, clad in the fluffy bathrobes they had bought not long ago back in LA. He noticed how her brow furrowed in thought as she took a sip of coffee and smiled.

"Something bothering you, Sarah?"

"It's just… We get to spend our Valentine's Day in what is known across the world as the City of Love, but the others…"

"Allow me to put your mind at ease. Last night, an unmarked CIA aircraft took off from Charles De Gaulle airport. The passengers were the Fulcrum leaders and agents we captured, plus the CIA/NSA teams, including Bryce, Morgan and Casey. They should be arriving at their places as we speak. Bryce will get to spend the day with Jill, Morgan with Alex and Casey with his wife."

"You don't know how glad I am to hear that."

"Believe it or not, I do. Besides, we'll have the Orion jet all to ourselves when we return home." He gave her the suggestive version of the patented Bartowski Eyebrow Dance.

She smiled beguilingly. "So, where does that leave us?"

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"Huh?"

"I'll have to go out and buy some things for later. I want this to be a Valentine's Day you'll never forget."

"Then I'll take the opportunity and go shopping myself. After all, we are in Paris. It's a cardinal sin for a girl not to go shopping while in Paris. I wouldn't hear the end of it from Carina and Ellie if I missed the opportunity."

"Meet you back here, then?"

"Definitely," she replied. "What time?"

"Let's give each other a little leeway… say… around two thirty?"

"Two thirty sounds just about fine. I'll be able to visit all the shops on my list and also hunt around for whatever catches my eye." She hurried and got dressed. "Don't forget the chocolates," she called as he headed out. "And the champagne!"

"Sarah has a sweet tooth for chocolate," Chuck mused. It was time to bring his formidable nerd skills into play in the service of romance. He opened his laptop and browsed online for the best place to buy chocolate in Paris.

Meanwhile, Sarah was driving to one of the places she knew her sister would place high on any shopping list: Galleries Lafayette. She had already decided to splurge on clothes, accessories and lingerie, as she could easily afford it.

Some time later, Chuck walked into their hotel room carrying a bottle of Cristal and a selection of fine chocolates along with a bouquet of gardenias. Knowing how insatiable his girlfriend could be at times, he'd also stocked up on condoms. Since she had taken the car, he had to use public transportation. Fortunately, the shops he'd visited weren't far from their hotel. All that remained was to order a light lunch from room service when she arrived. And then the festivities would begin in earnest. He had something special planned for dinner: He would take her to a Bateau Mouche. The combination of a gourmet meal and seeing Paris by night while cruising on the Seine would be an excellent beginning to a most romantic evening.

-o-

He had apparently developed a sixth sense on all things Sarah, for he had the door open just as she was looking for her keycard in her handbag while balancing the bags containing a selection of her purchases, having left several items in the trunk of the car.

"Hey," he said smiling. "You're back. Need any help with these?"

"No, I've got it. Thanks anyway." *kiss*

"I thought you'd be gone longer."

"And leave you unsupervised? The last time I did that you ended up getting a lap dance from a brunette skank," Sarah teased. She then noticed how the way was looking at her. "What?"

"Nothing. I just expected to see you with more stuff."

"These are only the essentials for today. The rest is in the car."

"I see. Well, I should order lunch. Any preferences?"

"Surprise me."

"Can do," he said.

"Good. I'll go change."

"Why change? You look amazing as always."

"You'll see," she said with a sultry smile.

He just picked up the phone and called room service. Sarah soon emerged from their suite's bedroom wearing tight jeans, boots and a frilly white blouse. She looked casual but elegant.

"Wow…"

"You like them?" She pirouetted. "I bought this outfit today."

"All I can say is… it's you. And it's perfect for what I have planned for later. It's almost like you can read my mind."

"Trust me on this, Chuck. I'm a woman of many talents, but mind reading is not one of them."

"You could have fooled me."

"Did you order lunch? I'm starving."

"It will be up in a few minutes. So, are you going to tell me what else you bought?"

"No."

"No?" Chuck echoed.

"I'll show you."

"Hmmm, I think I'll like it better that way. I also took advantage of your absence to make some plans."

"Are you going to tell me now, or are you keeping them as a surprise?"

"I can give you a hint."

"Go on."

"You'll need a nice dress."

"Good thing I bought some, then."

"I can't wait to see it. You also promised to tell me how you acquired your latest moniker."

"Yes, I remember. I'll tell you over lunch."

They were kissing when a knock on the door announced the arrival of the lunch Chuck had ordered for them. He took the delivery, tipping generously and pushed the cart into the main room.

"Ta-da!" Chuck exclaimed and revealed the contents of the cart with a dramatic flourish.

"Smells delicious," Sarah said and licked her lips. How on earth did he know what her favorite French dishes were? She certainly hadn't told him. He must be really good at reading her, for this was exactly what she was craving at the moment.

"This hotel is kind of famous for it." He poured her a glass of Lorina pink lemonade.

"What, no wine?"

"Considering what I have planned for later, this is better."

"I think I'm going to take your word for it." They clinked glasses and drank. "Mmmm… It's certainly good. I usually drink Perrier or Orangina when in France, but this… I think I'm hooked. Thank you."

"You are welcome. By the way, I really liked the jealous psychotic girlfriend trick you pulled on Lizzie yesterday. You made her underestimate you and she was the one that made mistakes."

Sarah huffed. "Must we talk about her?"

"Don't congratulations give a nice little boost to your ego?"

"They do, but I'd rather not be reminded of witnessing another woman putting her hands on my man."

"OK. Then you can tell me all about the whole Giant Blonde She-Male deal."

"I can do that."

"I'm listening."

"After they took you away, I decided to go a little medieval on Kourpasiri's henchmen and maybe find out where the meeting with Fulcrum would be taking place."

"So, you basically kicked ass."

"One of them apparently got away, but not before seeing what I did to his friends."

"Let me guess: He was the one that did a Superman out the window."

"I think you're right. Anyway, I got a little carried away and, by the time I was done, no one was in any shape to talk. Fortunately, you activated your locator shortly afterwards."

"No wonder he was so afraid of you. From what I heard, all the interrogators had to do was threaten to leave him alone in a room with you. It was enough to have him spilling his guts about his boss' business."

"Enough talking about work," she decreed.

He looked a little disappointed. "And I had such great news…"

"About work?"

"Yes. But not about the CIA. About what we normally do."

"Fine, tell me."

"I had the development section make prototypes of the new computer line we were discussing before the Intersect business came along."

"You told them to assemble the prototypes using existing components," she deduced, remembering their discussion at the Orion cafeteria.

"Not exactly. You see, I had them build a series of production prototypes."

"I don't understand."

"Well, you see… I looked into your computer and found the designs you were making on your free time."

"And you sent them to be used for the prototypes… So, you liked them?"

"I most certainly did."

"Your Dad also wants us to meet with customers while we're here."

"Forget about them for now. The appointments are for tomorrow. I called Mom and Dad and told them that the mission is over."

"Okay… so, what do we do now?"

"First, we finish lunch. And then we'll go for a walk."

-o-

Chuck was as good as his word. They took a romantic walk along the banks of the Seine, down the Champs-Élysées and even visited the Eiffel Tower, in the process taking hundreds of pictures.

"I'm really glad I dressed warmly," Sarah said, leaning into Chuck after they left the Eiffel Tower. "It was really cold up there."

He wrapped an arm around her, smiled and gave her a kiss. "Now, we go to the next part of the schedule." He took her to a Vélib bicycle rental spot, where they rented two bicycles. It was faster than walking and more convenient than driving a car. Soon, the baskets of both bicycles were filled with souvenirs purchased for themselves and their friends and relatives back home. By the time they returned the bicycles and got back to their hotel room, it was getting dark outside.

"Chuck, I had a lot of fun. The exercise was good, too."

"The best part has yet to come, Sarah."

"Should I go change again?"

He opened the closet and pulled out a suit. "Yes. I'll change now."

"Nice suit. I think I'll need to choose a dress."

"You brought dresses with you for the mission?"

"Don't be silly, Chuck. I bought some today, when I went shopping." She went to the bathroom carrying several of her new purchases. She needed to decide what to wear. For a moment, she entertained the notion of wearing absolutely nothing under whatever dress she chose. The look on Chuck's face when they returned and got down to business would be priceless. But then again, she hadn't bought all that sexy lingerie for nothing. No, in this case, less wasn't more. Either scenario was equally acceptable to her, but she quickly made up her mind. She undressed and put on the lace trim midnight blue cheekies and matching bra first, followed by a garter belt and sheer silk stockings. Then she took a few minutes to put on makeup, do her hair and decide what jewelry to wear. Next came the long electric blue dress that hugged her form perfectly and showed just the right amount of cleavage. A pair of stiletto heels and a brand new clutch completed the outfit. She also had the perfect coat to wear over the dress.

Chuck was ready by the time she rejoined him and allowed her eyes to rove all over him. He had a very nice suit on and carried a trench coat draped over one arm. She was pretty sure that he was checking her out, too. But he couldn't tell what she was wearing underneath her coat. Let him find out wherever they were going.

"You clean up nice, Ms. Walker."

"You look dapper yourself, Mr. Bartowski."

He hastily put on his coat and offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

She looped her arm through his. "By all means."

The valet brought their car and Chuck held the door open for her. She had no idea what he had planned, but she was sure it would be, in one word, awesome. They both thoroughly enjoyed the drive and she was very pleasantly surprised when she realized what the destination was. He had evidently pulled out all stops in making it a memorable evening for both of them.

Sarah would rarely admit it openly, but she liked a take charge man on a date. Chuck, for his part, seemed to instinctively know what she wanted and when. The atmosphere on the boat, with the lights dimmed and the candles, was also very romantic. Add an excellent meal and the wine to match and the result thus far was the perfect Valentine's Day.

"More wine?" Chuck asked.

"Thanks, I'm good," she replied and took another sip. "Did Morgan tell you about this place?"

"No, actually it was my Dad. He took Mom here last year, while on vacation."

"It's perfect."

"I know." He then thought for a moment. "Would you like to dance?"

"I'd love to, but I'm afraid I'm a little rusty. I used to be good, but it's been years since I last danced with someone."

"Then use _it_." He tapped the side of his head for emphasis. "I will."

Her grin turned wicked. Somewhat surprisingly, to her at least, dancing skills were included in the Intersect. "Wow. Do you think your Dad can find a way to let us keep the skills?"

"I wouldn't put it beyond him. In any case, we can always ask."

"Fantastic. Let's dance." She downed the rest of her wine and got up.

"Have I told you how amazing you look tonight?"

"Only about a hundred times," she replied. Her ego had gotten a massive boost out of Chuck's reaction to her outfit.

The band played a slow piece, so she was content to hold on to him as he led. Like every time she was close to Chuck, she felt warm, safe and loved. When the piece ended, all the couples on the dance floor applauded and many headed back to their tables, while others took their place as the band prepared to play the next piece. Chuck and Sarah looked at each other and silently agreed to return to their table. They ordered the house special dessert, savored it and afterwards headed back to the hotel.

The moment Sarah stepped through the door, what she saw took her breath away. Most of the lights were off, those remaining casting a soft glow, candles were lit, a bottle of fine champagne was chilling in an ice bucket and a mix of chocolates and strawberries were arranged around a dish full of whipped cream.

"How…?"

"You'll be amazed what a few well-placed and generous tips can do," he replied, smiling widely.

"All this trouble… you went to all this trouble just for me?"

"First of all, it was no trouble at all. And, second, you deserve all that and more, a whole lot more."

"I love you Chuck." She was almost on the verge of happy tears.

"I love you too. More than you will ever know."

"Somehow, I doubt that. I mean, who else would plan such an evening for his girlfriend?"

"Would you like a list?"

"Oh, shut up!" She lightly punched him in the shoulder. "In addition, who else would want to design a computer game with the virtual version of his girl as one of the leading characters?"

"A nerd," he offered.

"A very special Nerd," she corrected and kissed him.

"The champagne will be getting warm."

"Open it, then."

"With pleasure." He ripped the foil off the top of the bottle, but could not undo the wire cage securing the cork, as the loop handle was too small to get a proper grip with his fingers. He gave up and looked at Sarah. "Do you see a champagne bottle wire cutter anywhere? It can't be done any other way."

"No, but I think I can help." She reached under her dress and drew a throwing knife from a sheath on her thigh, handing it to him.

"You were armed?"

"Weren't you?"

He pulled his jacket aside to reveal a gun holster clipped to his belt. "I'm a spy, Sarah. At least for a little while longer."

"I'd drink to that."

He obligingly filled a flute for her and another for him. "I'd like to propose a toast: To our life together after we're finally done with the CIA."

"And to our love," she added.

They drank a little and Chuck fed her a strawberry after dipping it in the whipped cream, then offering her a liqueur filled chocolate.

"I think I have died and gone to heaven," she sighed.

"Nope. You're stuck with me."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

It didn't take long for them to finish off the champagne, the chocolates, the strawberries and the whipped cream. As far as they were concerned, this was the best Valentine's Day ever. In the end, they were a little tipsy, but nothing serious. They wouldn't even have a hangover the following day.

"It's official," he said. "We're out of champagne. Should I order more?"

"Nah, just take me to bed, Chuck."

"As you wish." He scooped her up and carried her to the king size bed. After gently depositing her on it, he gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Undress me," she commanded. "But be careful. I'm still wearing three knives."

"Don't worry about me."

-o-

As usual, Chuck was the first to wake up in the morning. She was snuggled up against him, still fast asleep. He checked the time. It was early enough and he could afford to snooze a little more. A big smile split his face as he recalled last night's events. Sarah had definitely been in one of the horniest moods ever. His back bore the red marks from her fingernails to prove it, while her neck and shoulder had unmistakable teeth marks on them – from his teeth.

"It was not a dream," he mused. "Damn, I'm the luckiest man in the world." He placed a kiss on the top of her head before relaxing and falling back asleep, until they were both rudely awakened by a blaring alarm clock.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N:** For starters, thank you all again for sticking around and offering your support and encouragement for this fic. Now that they completed their final spy mission, our characters will begin to focus more on achieving something they have been craving for a long time: living a normal life, or at least as normal as it can be given how extraordinary they are.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 23<strong>

"Chuck! Auntie Sarah! Over here!" Molly yelled, jumping up and down while waving at them outside the general aviation area of Bob Hope International airport. She then ran and jumped into her aunt's arms.

"Hi Molly," Sarah said, hugging her niece.

"Did you have a good time in France?"

"We had a great time," Chuck replied, ruffling the little girl's hair.

"And we brought you some nice gifts, which you can open at home," Sarah added. After putting Molly down, she hugged her Mom. "Thanks for coming to get us."

"It was nothing. I had an opening in my schedule, and I wanted to see you two."

They kept making small talk as they went over to where Emma had parked the Miller Hotel courtesy minibus. Throughout the drive, Molly was talking a mile a minute, describing how awesome it was to be able to use Chuck's gaming suite and how nice Devon, Ellie and Alex were to her.

"You look tired," Emma observed.

"We didn't get much sleep in the last two or three days," Chuck replied honestly.

"I was under the impression that you had to meet with a couple of customer representatives."

"Yes, but we were also in Paris, Mom. They don't call it City of Love for nothing you know."

"I know. In fact, I remember that one time when your father and I were still engaged…"

"Mom! Too much information!" Even Carina couldn't stand to hear about Jack and Emma's sexual escapades, to say nothing of her more private younger sister.

"Have it your way, dear." Emma stole a look at Chuck, who was riding shotgun. He was trying to appear nonchalant, but he did look a little awkward. She guessed his parents were not unlike her and her husband in many respects. "Tell me, what are your plans now?"

"Orion and the Burbank Buy More will launch Chuck's new game in a couple of days, so we'll have our hands full with the final preparations for the event. After that, I don't know. Maybe we'll work on the line of computers for kids we've been considering."

"You're forgetting one thing," Chuck said. "I have a new game in the works, starring you."

"Ah, that. No, I didn't forget."

"Anyone care to explain?" Emma asked.

"Sarah is about to be immortalized as a computer game character."

"You are going to name a character Sarah Walker?"

"No, I think Chuck will use another name. But the character will have my looks, from what he said."

"Naturally, you'll absolutely have to come with me to the E3 to help with the promotion of the game."

"What's the E3 again?"

"It's the Electronic Entertainment Expo that takes place annually here in Los Angeles. Naturally, we'll also do other conventions."

"You'll have all the time in the world to talk about work later," Emma told them. "Where do you want me to drop you off?"

"Take us to my place," Chuck said. "We'll go to work from there tomorrow."

"Can I come too?" Molly piped up.

"Only if you promise to keep the volume on the gaming system low. Sarah and I need to get some sleep. Jet lag can be kind of brutal."

"I promise."

"Then you can come."

"Yay!"

"I'll be keeping an eye on her," Emma promised. "Besides, if Ellie is home, we'll have more company."

-o-

The days following their return from Paris were kind of hectic. First, they had to compile and submit their official reports on the mission. Then, with Ellie and Devon standing by, Stephen and Hartley removed the intel from Chuck and Sarah's brains, leaving the skills packs intact, as requested.

Chuck's big day finally arrived. He was giving interview after interview to correspondents from gaming magazines and sites, which most of the time interfered with his plans to help Sarah make sure the game launch event went as smoothly as possible. He could see her chugging down coffees like they were water all day long. She probably had enough caffeine in her system to last her a week. When he finally caught a break, he went looking for her. He found her by the entrance to the Buy More, talking to one of the re-enactors from the club they had gotten to help.

"Hey," she said, noticing him.

"How are things in the trenches?" He smiled at the chuckling re-enactor. "Pun intended."

"I have Morgan arranging new deliveries every time Jeff and Marvin report the stock falling below one hundred copies. The preordering pickup desk is working smoothly and the whole process does not get in the way of the store's regular business. All in all, we're good. How are things on your end?"

"My throat is dry. I haven't done this much talking in one day since Stanford and some oral exams I took back then."

"Take this." She led him to a cooler and poured him a glass of water.

"Thanks. I must say, you deserve a huge bonus."

"I do?"

"Sure you do. By the way, I think I even saw Casey around here somewhere."

"Yeah, he needed some stuff for home. He totally approved of the props we arranged with the re-enactors, too."

"Did you offer him a game?"

"I slipped a copy in one of his bags."

"That's why I love you. Are you sure you're all right?"

"I just need to sit down for a minute. My feet are killing me. I forgot to take a second pair of shoes today, as I had planned."

"When we get back to my place, I'll draw a nice warm bath for you, complete with wine, scented candles and soft music, and then I'll give you a massage."

"You know how to make a girl feel nice, Mr. Bartowski."

"As an added reward, you'll get the day off tomorrow. The way I see it, this is going to drag on for a few more hours."

"It's a huge success. Your game is number one on the charts."

"You get a major share of the credit for said success. It was your efforts at advertising and marketing that made it possible."

"You did the heavy lifting. All the advertising in the world can't help a lame game, Chuck. Plus, it was a labor of love." She gave him a foxy grin. "In every way."

"For the moment, as everything appears to be under control, I'm going to make sure you're well fed. I called Lou and she'll be bringing a couple of Chucks over."

"Man, I love her sandwiches. And the Chuck is my all time favorite."

-o-

Later, Sarah was luxuriating in Chuck's bathtub, enjoying the feel of the warm water on her body, the relaxing scent of the candles strategically placed around the room and a glass of good red wine. And, as promised, Chuck finished setting up some surround speakers and started the music.

"Bolero?" Sarah asked. "Are you hoping to get lucky tonight, Mr. Bartowski?"

"It's just one part of tonight's music selection, Ms. Walker, all guaranteed to help you relax. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to see to the massage oils."

"Come here."

"What?"

"Closer," she whispered.

He knelt by the tub held on to the sill with one hand and leaned closer. The other hand went on the nape of her neck as their lips met.

"I love you, Sarah."

"I love you too, Chuck."

When she had soaked long enough in the tub, he helped her out, got her in a fluffy bathrobe and took her to his room, where he lit more candles and put on some more music. She then shrugged the bathrobe off of her shoulders and lay down on the bed.

"You are still a little tense," he commented as he massaged her shoulders.

"Nah, just tired," she replied drowsily. "Whatever you do, don't stop."

The massage left her feeling a new woman. Gone was the day's exhaustion. It was time to reward him for being such a considerate boyfriend. Therefore, she asked him to step outside for a minute. The moment he was out the door, she opened one of the bags containing a lingerie set purchased in Paris. It was a transparent black negligee with matching bra and panties.

"You can come in now," she called seductively.

He opened the door, took two steps inside and froze. "Hi-oh!"

"You like it?"

"It doesn't cover a thing," was all he could stammer.

"Of course it doesn't. I'm wearing what a good girlfriend would wear to seduce her boyfriend. I'm just being professional."

"Huh? Do you mean the world's oldest…?"

"Chuck," she cut him off. "You must be more tired than you think. What I meant is that being your girlfriend is a full-time job. A job I love very much, by the way."

"It's a reasonable explanation." He was still rooted where he stood.

"Are you coming to bed?"

"Um, sure."

"Good, because the night is still young."

-o-

Sarah had proven that she was most definitely not a morning person many times over. But today was a minor exception. Even though they had gone to sleep rather late, she woke up before Chuck, feeling refreshed. She looked at his sleeping form and smiled. He got up about a quarter of an hour later, surprised not to find her snuggled up against him as usual. He went to the bathroom and the moment he got out a most heavenly smell pulled him inexorably to the kitchen. Sarah was there, wearing a pink satin nightgown… and she was cooking.

"Hi Chuck," she said brightly. "How did you sleep?"

"Like a log, honey," he replied and yawned.

"Here, have some coffee. It'll jumpstart your system."

"Thanks. What are you doing?"

"I'm making us some breakfast. We have the day off, remember?"

"No, you have the day off. I'll have to go to work."

"You can work from home just as easily. Isn't your super-duper computer networked to the Orion mainframe?"

"You've got a point there."

"I called the office to inform them that I wouldn't be coming in today, but apparently you beat me to it."

"Yes, I fired off an email to Mr. Watkins yesterday while we were still at the Buy More."

"What are your plans for the day?"

"I have some material I want to gather for my next game. Basically, I'll be programming pictures of you into the character generator. This way, Samantha Walters will be born."

"So you already found a name for your new character."

"And she's going to be as badass as you are."

"Samantha Walters used to be one of my aliases."

"I know. Remember when we first met, in Rome?"

"How can I forget? For a moment there I was scared shitless."

"Trust me, I know how it feels."

"When does a big scary spy like you get scared?"

"Former spy, and it was when I made my first parachute jump."

"Oh."

"That and when I asked a girl in high school to be my date to junior prom. Believe it or not, I was no James Bond back then. However, I was able to tap into my natural charm thanks to Roan Montgomery's Infiltration and Inducement of Enemy Personnel class in the Farm."

"Infiltration and inducement?"

"Seduction school," he clarified.

"I'm not sure I want to hear about it."

"Well, it was pretty awkward at first, for everyone."

"Did it ever occur to you to try and seduce me back in Rome?"

"We didn't have time for it to work. Besides, I don't think it would have been effective on you."

"What do you mean it wouldn't have been effective? We are together, aren't we?"

"Sarah, we fell for each other while trying to live like normal people."

"Chuck, I was attracted to Agent Carmichael, but it was Chuck Bartowski who stole my heart. And I think I liked Charles because Chuck was strong in him."

"Is that why you kissed me when we had that chemical agent scare?"

"I think so…"

The toaster dinged and ejected two slices of toast. Sarah put them on a plate and reloaded the toaster. Then she expertly flipped the omelet in the pan. When it was done to her satisfaction, she served it and sprinkled on some herbs she chopped up.

"Mmm, delicious," Chuck said. "Your Mom's recipe?"

"I would sometimes watch her as she made breakfast for us when I was little. The recipe is burned into my memory."

"Except… you're not eating."

"Think again." She popped a strawberry in her mouth.

"Really? A fruit salad?"

"Not exactly. Watch." She opened the refrigerator and took the pitcher from the blender out, pouring a generous measure of whatever was in it into a tall milkshake glass. Then she topped it with whipped cream and added a cherry on top. Finally, she closed her lips around the straw and slurped.

"You made a milkshake?"

"Not just a milkshake; it's a fruity protein shake."

His enthusiasm took a noticeable nosedive. "Protein shake?"

"Is there a problem?"

"No, it's just… Awesome's protein shakes are positively horrible."

"Try this one and you'll definitely change your mind."

He tried it. It was indeed heavenly. "Now I feel somewhat cheated. I mean, the omelet is delicious, but so is the milkshake."

"There's enough in here for two, you know. I'll just pour you a glass."

"Thanks. But you should really eat something solid, too."

"I made and ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while cooking."

"Careful, Sarah. If you keep this up you may actually turn into a real girl."

"Perhaps I want to turn into a real girl. Not the kind interested only in fashion and gossip, mind you. But I want a normal life. And something tells me that I won't exactly miss my previous life."

"You'll have plenty of excitement working for Orion."

"Doubtlessly, but it will mostly be a nice nine to five existence and I'll also get to be with the man I love both on and off work. By the way, what will happen to Carmichael Industries?"

"Well, that's up to Director Graham and his staff to decide, but I think it'll continue to exist in one form or another. After all, it's a ready made cover."

They had barely loaded the dishwasher after finishing breakfast when a loud squeal emanating from the apartment next door made them both jump.

"What was that?"

"Ellie," Chuck replied.

"I know it was Ellie. But what happened?"

"Let's go find out."

"Hold on a minute. I need to get my robe."

Chuck was too impatient to wait for Sarah, but she was fast. Together they made their way to the courtyard, in time to look through Devon and Ellie's living room window. Ellie was admiring a new ring on her finger. And it was an engagement ring, no less.

"She looks so happy," Chuck said, his tone almost one of reverence.

"Yes she does. Devon is a great guy."

"He is. After we had the Intersect removed, he took me and my parents aside for a talk. He wanted our blessing to ask Ellie to marry him. Let's go in and congratulate them."

"Chuck, it's a family time."

"I know." He looped an arm around her waist and pulled her with him as he knocked.

"Chuck!" Ellie squealed. "Devon proposed!"

"We kind of heard it all the way to my kitchen, sis. Congratulations."

"Congratulations," Sarah added.

"Good thing you're here, Sarah. I want to ask you something."

"Sure, anything."

"Will you be my maid of honor?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you. You're the best person for the position."

"Huh?" Sarah was still a little taken aback.

"Sarah, you make my little brother happy. In fact, it's the happiest I've ever seen him. I can think of no other girl to be my maid of honor, especially since Devon asked Chuck to be his best man."

"It's an honor I'm happy to accept."

Ellie grabbed Sarah and pulled her into a bear hug. "Thank you."

"Sis, let her go. She's turning blue."

"Oh, sorry."

"I'm OK."

"This calls for a celebration. We'll have dinner here tonight. I'll call Mom and Dad."

"What about you, Devon? Aren't you going to call your parents and give them the good news?"

"I most definitely am, bro. And soon I'll mean that literally. I called them last night and told them I was going to propose to Ellie."

"What did they say?"

"They wished me luck."

-o-

"I'm so happy right now," Sarah gushed after she and Chuck had returned to his apartment. "Everything is going well."

"It gets better. Ellie was recommended for a fellowship in neurology at USC. The selection has not yet been finalized, but, from what an old professor of hers said, the position is practically hers."

"This is all part of the normal life I had been dreaming for so long. Until now, I was using what appeared to be a normal life as a cover, but not anymore. From now on, I'll be living it."

"And I want to be part of your normal life."

"You already are. I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Since we are now both living normal, dull lives, I guess I'd better get to work."

"But what am I supposed to do?"

"It's your day off. You figure it out."

"I think I'll stick around to see what you'll do with the virtual me."

"Just don't expect to see much. This is only the beginning of the game's development process. All you'll see is your character in some standalone videos."

"Still, I'm curious."

She followed him to the study, where he turned on his awesome computer system. The character generator created three-dimensional images from pictures and videos and soon a virtual Sarah was looking at them from the screen. Chuck had an idea. He tapped the keys and the casual clothes Sarah's likeness was wearing were replaced by a cutoff t-shirt, shredded skinny jeans and a leather jacket.

"This is Heavy Metal Sarah." A few more commands later, and Metal Sarah was head-banging while playing Iron Maiden's Number of the Beast on an electric guitar.

"Okay, I get it. Your computer can do wonders."

"This is Vampire Sarah." Another image appeared, this time in a period dress and fangs.

"Show me Samantha Walters."

"Okie-dokie." This time, SWAT Sarah made her appearance. "The game will be a first person shooter, like the last one, but focusing on law enforcement."

"Are you going to compete with Counterstrike?"

"Yes and no. This is going to be rather more plot-heavy. I'll probably add a level where Samantha and her partner will have to go undercover."

"What about voice?"

"We'll work on that later."

"You know best."

"Thanks. Now, what are we going to do about lunch?"

"Let me think about it and I'll get back to you."


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: **Chuck and Sarah continue to adjust to the routine of having a normal life as a committed couple. And, as in every relationship, they hit the occasional speed bump and finding fun ways to overcome problems. So… enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 24<strong>

"I still don't understand why you dragged me here, Chuck," Sarah complained.

He chuckled while pushing the shopping cart beside her. "Are you serious?"

"Do I look like I'm not?"

"Look, all this stuff is necessary. Trust me. I know what I'm saying."

Before Sarah had a chance to reply, a little old lady butted in on their conversation. "How long have the two of you been married?"

"We're not married, ma'am," Chuck replied.

"We're not even living together," Sarah added.

"You could have fooled me. You're acting like my husband and I used to do in the early years of our marriage. Now, we've mellowed with age, but back then it was a whole different story."

"Did your husband ever try to convince you to buy things you didn't need?"

"I certainly thought so at the time, but in the end he was proven right – mostly."

"See?" Chuck smiled triumphantly.

"Don't gloat," she said, a little annoyed.

"Come on Sarah, indulge me."

"Fine. You better hope you'll be proven right."

The old lady smiled before leaving them to continue their shopping. "I'll say it again: You are a very nice couple."

"Thank you," they said in unison.

Later, they were at Sarah's place, putting away the day's purchases. "Will you be spending the night?"

"Yes," he replied. They had a convenient arrangement. Six days out of seven, they spent the night together either in his or in her place, leaving one night to stay on their own in their respective places. It was a most convenient arrangement for both of them, allowing for spending time both with each other and with their families and friends. "And now your kitchenette is properly equipped. You won't be limited to making coffee and nuking TV dinners. You'll actually be able to do some real cooking."

"I'll have to learn to cook better first."

"According to Ellie you are a fast learner."

"Maybe, but I can't cook for you tonight. My fridge is empty."

"No problem," he said smoothly, whipping out his phone. "Tonight we'll order in."

"Chinese?"

"It's been a while since we last had Chinese," he agreed. "Luckily, I have the Bamboo Dragon's number and we're within their delivery radius. What do you want me to order for you?"

"You know the dishes I like, so any one of them will do. But I'd like the fried ice cream for dessert."

"And afterwards we get to open our fortune cookies together."

"Like always," she agreed. "What are you waiting for? Make the call already."

-o-

The following day Chuck left his office humming a happy tune. On the way to the elevators, he high-fived with one of the floor staff. They had every reason to be happy at Orion. The latest product, Chuck's game, was selling so well that the few machines allocated to its production could barely keep up with demand. Right now he was on the way to drag Sarah from her cubicle and take her to the cafeteria for lunch. Only, she wasn't there. And neither was her bag.

"Hey Ollie," Chuck called out to the young guy in the next cubicle. "Have you seen Sarah?"

"Watkins called her to his office just after ten. She left immediately afterwards and hasn't come back yet."

"It must have been big for Watkins to send her out."

"He did say it was important."

"Thanks Ollie. I'm gonna go talk to him."

"OK Mr. Bartowski."

"Call me Chuck." He went and knocked on Watkins' office door.

"Chuck, if you're looking for the lovely Ms. Walker…"

"Yes, I'm looking for her. I was about to take her to lunch."

"Mrs. B called down and had me send her to supervise an install for a customer."

"What kind of install?"

"I think it was a security system. Mrs. B says that Sarah is quite the expert."

"She's done her homework. And she has this unique ability to anticipate everything one could think to overcome a security system. So, for every aspect of it that can be overcome, there are two supporting subsystems."

"You two could make a fortune stealing, you know."

"Really, Mr. Watkins?"

"Just kidding. Besides, you're making a ton of money already with your hardware and software, and she's a veritable cash cow with her ideas and unique marketing gimmicks."

"Somehow I don't think Sarah would appreciate being called a cow."

"Well, the girl sure has the Midas touch."

"You don't happen to know when she'll be back, do you?"

"It'll probably take a while. I told her to go home once they're done at the site."

"Then I won't bother you anymore. I won't bother her either, so I'll call her at home later."

Chuck went to his office after having lunch with Morgan and Bryce at the cafeteria and busied himself with project budgets and technical reports. He'd been so busy that he didn't realize it was well past five until his Dad knocked on his door.

"Come in!"

"Charles, your mother and I are going home. Unless you have something pressing to work on, you should go as well."

Chuck looked at his watch. "Damn, it's almost five thirty. I'll be going, I guess. Sarah should be at my place by now."

When he made it home, however, there was no sign of Sarah. Funny, because they'd been planning to spend time together. He waited another half hour for her and when she didn't show, he called her.

"Hello?" There must have been a problem with the cell phone signal, because Sarah sounded like she was speaking from the bottom of a well.

"Sarah, it's me. I didn't find you here and I was wondering if…" He never finished the question, because the next thing he heard was a big sneeze.

"Sorry," Sarah sniffled.

"Are you OK?"

"Just peachy," she croaked before sneezing again.

"Okay," he said disbelievingly. "I'll take it you're not coming over."

"Let's take a rain check for today."

"I can come to you, if you want."

"Don't bother. I'm not exactly in shape for entertaining guests."

"But… Hello? Sarah? She hung up?" He shrugged and scrolled down his contact list before pressing the dial button.

"Hey Chucky," a husky female voice purred.

"Carina, hi. Are you at home?"

"Yeah, I had a long boring day at the office. Right now I'm about to enjoy a bubble bath. Would you like to join me?"

"What? NO!"

"Your loss," she shrugged.

"Hardly," he replied resolutely. "I have Sarah, remember?"

"Are you two letting me forget it? You're a damn walking fairytale."

"I think Sarah's sick. She was to come over to my place, and I called her when she didn't show up. She didn't sound like she was OK and she was sneezing her head off."

"I guess the bubble bath can wait. I'm gonna go check on her. Thanks for the heads-up, Chucky."

"Don't mention it. I'll be over shortly. But first I'll have to get some supplies, like medicine and chicken soup."

"Yes, that might actually be a good idea. My medicine cabinet is almost empty. And so is hers. By the way, she hates chicken soup."

"Thanks for the warning. See you soon. Just make sure she's comfortable."

-o-

He was ransacking his medicine cabinet and the cupboards of his kitchen when he spied Ellie, who'd come back from the hospital earlier. "Hey, sis," he called out.

"Chuck, I was just about to come over and ask if you and Sarah would like to join us for dinner."

"Under normal circumstances, we'd be delighted to. But Sarah's not here."

"When will she be coming?"

"She won't. She's at home sick. I'm just gathering some stuff for her."

"Oh boy. I can make some chicken soup. It'll do her good."

"Negative. She hates chicken soup."

"How do you know?"

"Her sister told me."

"I am making onion soup as an appetizer for tonight's dinner. I hope she'll like it."

"She likes it, all right."

"Good. Get over here and I'll tell you what to take with you."

"Thanks sis, I owe you one."

Thus, armed with carefully packed bowls of onion soup, Vicks VapoRub, DayQuil and NyQuil, plus some good old fashioned aspirin, he knocked on Sarah's door. Carina answered it.

"Hi Carina."

"Hi Chucky. Come on in."

"Thanks. How is she?"

"I managed to talk her into trying to get some sleep. She's running a fever, but otherwise it's not very bad."

"I see. Thanks for looking after her."

"She's my little sister, Chuck. I'd do anything for her."

"Did she say how she managed to catch the cold?"

"She did say something about the work site being draughty."

"Figures," he muttered. "She would have been all over the place, making sure everything was just perfect."

"If you need anything, just knock. I'll be next door."

"Go enjoy your bubble bath, Carina. I'll take care of Sarah."

After Carina left, Chuck went to the kitchenette and arranged the things he'd brought on the counter. Ellie would have definitely put some croutons in the soup, but Sarah would need a little more solid food, so he just popped a couple of slices of bread in the toaster. This toaster was special. It wasn't the Darth Vader toaster he had at home (although he'd tried and failed to convince Sarah to get one for herself at the Buy More the previous day – but she did enjoy eating Darth Vader toast when having breakfast with him at his place), but an egg and muffin toaster, which could toast two bread, bagel, croissant, or English muffin slices and cook an egg, while warming a slice of Canadian bacon or sausage. Sarah had preferred it over his suggestion.

While waiting for the toast to be ready, he went into the bedroom. She was still asleep and for a moment he didn't want to wake her up, but it was necessary. Her forehead was sweaty and the skin felt hot and clammy against his hand. He brushed a couple of strands of matted hair off to the side and leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek. She made a happy little noise, but stayed asleep.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty," he whispered in her ear.

It worked. "Huh? Chuck?"

"It's me, Sarah. Carina took good care of you and now I'm taking over." He held up an Orion digital thermometer. "First, let's take your temperature. You may also want to change clothes. You were sweating quite a bit."

"Seriously, there is no need to go into all that trouble."

"Indulge me."

"Fine," she huffed. He stuck the thermometer between her lips and moved to her closet, getting her a fresh t-shirt and another pair of pajamas. She'd just handed him the sweat soaked clothes to dump in the laundry hamper when the toaster dinged. Within minutes, he had a tray with a bowl of soup, two slices of toast and a glass of pineapple orange juice for her.

"Eat up. In the meantime, I'll make you some tea."

She hesitated before lifting the lid covering the soup bowl. "What is this?"

"It's not chicken soup. Carina said you don't like it."

"That's the understatement of the year. I like my chicken fried, grilled, or roasted on a spit. I hate it boiled and I especially hate chicken soup. But you didn't answer my question."

"Open it. It's something I know you like."

"It's onion soup! Thanks Chuck."

"Ellie made it for tonight's dinner. She was more than happy to pack a few bowls for you."

"It's fantastic. I really need to learn how to make it."

"When you're done, I'll give you a good rubdown with Vicks. And I brought some more medicine for you, too."

"Jack Daniels?" Sarah asked hopefully. To her it was the miracle cure and she preferred it over taking medication.

"Next best thing," he laughed. "I've got NyQuil and DayQuil, plus some aspirin as a reserve."

"Hrmph. Ever since college, I had nothing a shot of Jack couldn't cure." *sneeze*

"Gesundheit. I'll go make you some more toast."

Sarah soon finished her soup and her caramel tea. Chuck fed her some medication, over her initial objections, gave her a rubdown and then announced that the entertainment was about to begin. Despite her condition, she grilled him relentlessly about whatever he had in mind, but he insisted on it being a surprise.

"It's just something long overdue," was the only thing she could get out of him.

Even sickness couldn't do anything but infinitesimally slow down the thought process in her razor sharp brain. "Underworld," she said.

"How did you know? Did you see the DVD case?"

"I know you, Chuck. When Bryce mentioned it back in Paris, you said it would be on the top of the things to do list."

"Can I get you anything else before I start the movie?"

"Popcorn, pizza, a hotdog and more juice please," she replied without hesitation.

"Are you sure?"

"I've got a cold, not the flu. Trust me, I won't be throwing up. I can help, too."

"No, you stay in bed. I'll take care of everything."

"The kernels for the popcorn are in the top left hand cupboard. I have single pizza portions and hotdogs in the fridge. The buns are in the breadbox and… well, you can look for the rest."

"What happened to your 'I have to watch my caloric intake' spiel?"

"The onion soup gave me quite an appetite. Besides, I have ways upon ways to burn the calories off."

Was she saying what he thought she was saying? In any case, he decided to tread lightly. "You should really get some rest."

"My body will use a good portion of the calories fighting off the cold. Plus, it's not like I'm going to eat a whole pizza."

"All true," he conceded as he popped two small pizzas into the oven. Soon, he filled a tray with refreshments, two bowls of popcorn, two slices of pizza and two chilidogs. The decision to make the latter was not at all coincidental. The chili could help relieve her congestion.

For someone with a bad cold, Sarah was really chipper. Of course, having Chuck catering to her every very reasonable whim and keeping her company had everything to do with it.

"I see why you guys looked so surprised by my outfit back in Paris," she said. "The similarity is uncanny."

"All you needed was a nice pair of fangs," Chuck laughed.

"I can still bite. But for now, I'll finish my chilidog."

-o-

The movie over, Chuck went about tidying up the place. Fortunately, he'd brought several boxes of Kleenex with him, so there was no chance Sarah would run out of tissues before he had a chance to go replenish the supplies in the morning.

_Knock-knock_

"Are we expecting anyone?" Sarah asked.

"I don't know. Ellie might have gotten it in her head to check up on us. I'll go see."

It wasn't Ellie. In fact, it was Sarah's mom.

"Hi Chuck. Carina told me I'd find you here."

"I didn't have anywhere else to be. Come on in."

"So, how's my baby girl?"

"Mom, I'm most definitely not a baby any more."

"You'll always be my baby girl."

"She's been fed, entertained and provided with the necessary medication," Chuck summarized.

Emma's eyes were drawn to a trash can by Sarah's bed. It was half full of used tissues.

"You should be careful, Chuck. After all, I don't think you'd like to come down with whatever she has."

"I took my precautions."

"I'll take your word on that."

"What brings you here, Mom?"

"Carina mentioned you were sick. I just wanted to see if you needed anything."

"She snitched on me again?"

"Don't be mad, Sarah," Chuck tried to calm her down. "She's your sister and she's concerned about you."

"Fine," she muttered. "Mom, it's nothing serious. In all probability, I won't even have to miss work tomorrow."

Chuck and Emma looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Sarah was incorrigible. Of course, part of it was due to her wanting to keep herself occupied. She wasn't one to stay idle.

"No, you'll stay in bed tomorrow, even if I have to cuff you to it."

"Ooh, kinky," she smiled, causing him to visibly blush.

"Sarah, I'm serious." He took his phone and fired off an email. "It's final. The office has been informed you won't be there tomorrow."

"Shouldn't I have a say in it?"

"Knowing you, no. Besides, you won't be bored. I'll stay here with you and we can work remotely. I brought my laptop along. It's in the car right now, but I'm going to get it now. I'll be right back."

"He's right, you know," Emma said after Chuck left. "You're too stubborn for your own good."

"Look who's talking. I believe I inherited that from you."

"Just from me?" Emma teased. "Your father is every bit as stubborn, which makes you twice as bad as either of us."

Sarah was about to reply when she grabbed for a tissue and sneezed loudly.

"My point exactly," her mother said smugly.

While waiting for Chuck to come back up, Sarah regaled her mother with stories from the game release event a few days ago, plus the work they were doing on the new product line. And then she had an idea. "Mom, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"As you know, Ellie and Devon are going to be getting married soon and I'm the maid of honor. She has taken it upon herself to deal with most of the wedding preparations, and we give her a hand whenever possible, but she's still stressed out. I think I can take a load off her shoulders – with your help."

"Anything you need, Sarah. Just tell me."

"It's about the wedding rehearsal and the reception. I was wondering if we could do it at the Miller, specifically at the poolside restaurant."

"Give me the dates and I'll see what we can do. Naturally, I'll have to make sure we haven't already booked anything for those days."

"What are you ladies talking about?" Chuck asked when he returned with his laptop.

"Sarah had a great idea about your sister's wedding."

"She got to you, Sarah, didn't she?"

"What does he mean, Sarah?"

"Ellie is the definition of the Bridezilla. In fact, the dictionary entry has her picture right next to it."

"Don't be so mean to your sister," Sarah scolded him.

"She's right. It's her big day, a day every woman dreams of from a young age, or from the moment she meets the right guy."

"Anyway, what was your brainstorm?"

"Sarah suggested the Miller as the venue for the wedding rehearsal and the reception."

"It is the ideal place," he agreed.

"Good. From what I see, you have everything under control here. I have to go. Jack is waiting for me at the hotel and we have an important event to supervise."

"Thanks for dropping by, Mom."

"You get well soon." She then turned to Chuck. "And I'm counting on you to keep her from doing anything stupid and ending up delaying her recovery."

"Rest assured, Emma, we'll be fine."

"Stupid cold," Sarah muttered when her mother left.

"What was that again?"

"If I hadn't caught that stupid cold, you'd have ravished me several times by now."

"Excuse me? How can you be thinking about that right now?"

"It's your fault. I can't help it."

"In that case, allow me to offer my sincere apologies."

"You can make it up to me," she said haughtily and sneezed again. "When I get better, you'd better make sure my carnal needs are met to the full."

*meep*


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N:** Who said that a normal life can't have its small excitements, even for an ex-CIA agent and an ex-thief? Here are a couple of them:

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 25<strong>

Ellie tossed the magazine on top of the pile already crowding her coffee table and picked up another. "Let's check this one out," she told Sarah.

"OK, but then we should take a short break, get more coffee and rest our eyes a little."

"Damn, I lost all track of time. And you must be tired."

"We still have time until the wedding. By the way, I talked to my Mom about reserving the poolside restaurant at the hotel for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding reception. She said it can be arranged, provided there are no events already scheduled. Your Mom was quite enthusiastic about it when Chuck mentioned it to her earlier today. She likes the Miller very much."

"Tell me more."

"It's going to be fantastic. The restaurant tables are arranged along one side of the pool, with an open bar on another. The other two sides are facing a garden. There is even a telescoping canopy to shield the whole area if the weather doesn't cooperate. I believe you'll also find the sound system and projector screen to your liking."

"Projector screen?" Ellie echoed.

"Yes. It's huge and we could use it for slideshows and videos of you and Devon. Hell, we could even show snapshots of the wedding." Sarah picked up her laptop and showed Ellie photos of the poolside restaurant from the hotel's website.

"You make it sound very tempting."

"So, what's holding you back?"

"Frankly, I don't know what the Very Awesomes will say."

"Come again?"

"Devon's parents," Ellie explained. "They have three sons and Devon is the first one getting married, which means that they are kind of overenthusiastic about it, by default."

"Leave them to me," Sarah said confidently. "By the time my Mom and I are through with them, they'll be behind us all the way."

"Why, what are you planning to do?"

"Next time they come over, tell them that you'll be making all the necessary arrangements for their stay and call me immediately. I'll have Mom book them a suite at the Miller. This way they'll sample the hotel's services first hand."

"I like the way you think," Ellie said after briefly considering it. Then she hugged Sarah. "Thank you."

"It's nothing, really," Sarah said.

"No, it's everything. Sarah. From the moment I met you and noticed your special connection with my brother, I liked you, a lot. When you two became an item, I began seeing you as part of the family."

Sarah just hugged Ellie back tighter. Then they browsed through the magazine Ellie had opened and afterwards took a short break. They were in the middle of a discussion about cookie recipes when the phone rang.

"Speak of the Devils," Ellie muttered after hanging up.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Huh? No, no. The Very Awesomes will be flying over from Connecticut, arriving early in the morning. They asked me to book a hotel room for them."

Sarah had her phone out in a flash. "I'm calling my Mom right now." She went out in the courtyard to talk. When she came back she was all smiles. "The in-laws will be taken care of," she announced.

"I don't know how to thank you Sarah."

"You're already doing more for me than I could ask for."

"Are you up for looking at bridesmaids' dresses?"

"Like you have to ask. Where do we start?"

"Oh, I almost forgot. Can you tell Chuck to go to the airport and pick up Devon's parents? We both got an early shift at the hospital, so…"

"Say no more. It will be taken care of. Now, about those dresses…"

"This magazine would be a good place to start."

-o-

"There they are," Chuck told Sarah and moved forward. The couple that had just exited the baggage claim area saw him and waved.

"Hello Chuck," the blonde middle aged woman gushed.

"Honey, nice to see you again," Chuck said. Then he turned to the man. "Woody, welcome to LA again. Let me introduce you to Sarah Walker, my girlfriend. Devon and Ellie are at work and couldn't make it."

"I suspected that much," Woody said before he and his wife shook hands with Sarah.

"Where are we going?" Honey asked.

"To one of LA's swankiest hotels," Sarah replied. "The same hotel, I might add, that Ellie and I are considering as a venue for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding reception. Before you ask, in addition to being Chuck's girlfriend, I'm Ellie's maid of honor."

"I'm intrigued," Honey admitted. "Which hotel is it?"

"The Miller," Sarah informed her.

"The Miller?" Woody echoed. "I was there for a convention once. It's a five star hotel, probably the best in the city. How on earth did you and Ellie even put it on the list?"

"I know people," Sarah said cheekily.

"Her parents own it," Chuck clarified. "And since they are friends with my parents and not about to deny their baby girl anything… you can guess the rest."

The Very Awesomes' reaction to the hotel was favorable, to say the list. Of course, having Jack and Emma Walker give them the grand tour of the poolside restaurant and bar, at the behest of their daughter, helped immeasurably. Therefore Ellie, and by extension all the others, had one less thing to worry about. Chuck and Sarah couldn't stay long, as they had an important appointment at work.

Said appointment was the founder and CEO of Verbanski Corporation, Gertrude Verbanski herself. She ran a highly successful private security contractor empire and a contract from her was a red badge of honor for any company lucky enough to land one. Chuck had agreed to handle the initial contact before Stephen and Mary took over.

"Ms. Verbanski, welcome to Orion. I'm Chuck Bartowski, and this is Ms. Sarah Walker from the Marketing, PR and Advertising Division."

"You come highly recommended, Mr. Bartowski. And your company has an excellent reputation of providing top level technology at reasonable prices. A talk with an old friend in DC only reinforced my conviction. He says hi, by the way."

"I know him?"

"Sure you do. It's Colonel John Casey of the NSA. His agency is a client."

"Casey made Colonel?"

"The details are probably classified up the wazoo, but yes, he recently got a double promotion."

"He deserved it and it was long overdue anyway."

Sarah took over. "Ms. Verbanski, you didn't say exactly what you needed but our product ranges can provide solutions to private military contractors like Verbanski Corp."

"Private security contractors," Gertrude corrected. "PMCs are basically mercenaries, scoundrels. We, on the other hand, have a far better reputation, even if our lines of work tend to occasionally overlap."

"Of course. I'm sorry."

"It's OK. Many people confuse the two."

"So, what can we do for you?" Chuck asked.

"We are going to upgrade our computer systems. In addition, we'll be starting training courses for security personnel, both for our people and for foreign law enforcement and specialized security agencies, the latter as part of contracts we have with the State Department."

"Anything you want, we can provide," Chuck said confidently. "Our systems are designed so that they can easily be customized to suit the clients' particular needs. And they can be easily upgraded, too."

"I've heard great things about your firearms training simulators."

"My father and I had a great time designing and building the prototype. It's the best option for providing safe and realistic training before moving on to other methods, like paintball, simunition and live ammo training. It's modular, so it can be adapted to any space. In any case, you'll get a chance to discuss contract term in depth with my parents as soon as they get back from their meeting with the Governor in Sacramento. In the meantime, we'll deal with the more technical aspects of your requirements."

Verbanski certainly had a very long list of requirements. She then went to a meeting with Stephen and Mary Bartowski. Armed with said list, Chuck and Sarah went about assembling a formidable team to assist in the customizing of the packages for the client. It was a very important and lucrative contract, so they stayed at the office late, working. They were so into it that they didn't even go to the cafeteria for lunch, instead asking for some to be sent up to Chuck's office.

Sarah rubbed her tired eyes and closed the file she was working on. "I think we got another one off of the list. Would you like to check it before I send it to Sales and Customer Service?"

"Should I?"

"Yes. You're the Nerd."

"Move over," he smiled. "Looks perfect. That's what I would have done. Great job, Sarah. I think we can take a break."

"We still have work to do," she pointed out.

"Verbanski didn't ask to have it all first thing in the morning. And we both need a rest."

"Chuck, this is a bunch of multi-million dollar contracts with Verbanski Corp we are talking about. We have to be fast and efficient on this."

"Orion is always fast and efficient. And a power nap will make us even more so. I'm speaking from experience." He wagged his eyebrows at her as he set up the couch bed. "So… are you coming?"

"Okay."

Before long, they were both snuggled closely together under the blankets, fast asleep, happy smiles on their faces. Work could wait for an hour or so. Fortunately, no phone rang to disturb them while they were resting.

-o-

The next two days were quite busy. In addition to their normal work, they had to oversee the fulfillment of the Verbanski Corp contract package. And they, especially Sarah, had to help with Ellie's wedding preparations. Fortunately, Devon's parents had loved the Miller and readily agreed to reserve the poolside restaurant for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding reception, just as Sarah had suggested. Emma took care of the rest. Needless to say, Stephen and Mary had been thoroughly satisfied with their work.

Sarah pulled a dressing gown on and got off the bed, which contained a still sleeping Chuck, making her way to the kitchenette. She decided to make a couple of English muffin breakfast sandwiches, and her new toaster was made to order for it. She also got the coffee machine going. She chuckled. Had her kitchenette had more room, Chuck would have probably bought her an espresso machine. Soon, she had two breakfast sandwiches, two mugs full of coffee and two glasses of juice. She arranged them on a tray and took it to the bedroom.

"Chuck, rise and shine," she said, lightly kicking him in the butt while still holding the tray.

"Good morning," he said. She never failed to put a smile on his face.

"I made breakfast."

"Well, it was about damn time. Nine times out of ten, I'm the one who wakes up first to make breakfast."

"I can't believe you're actually keeping score!"

"Nonetheless, I love you just the same."

"I love you too, Chuck."

He jumped out of bed and followed her to the table by the window. They liked to enjoy their meals there when they were at her place, as her room had an awesome view.

"I hate to admit it, but you were right in rejecting the Darth Vader toaster in favor of the one you got," he said and bit into his sandwich.

"Just wait until I get a waffle iron."

"You're gonna get a waffle iron?"

"No. I was just yanking your chain."

"It's a good idea though, come to think of it."

"Chuck, no."

"Yes," he countered.

"No," she insisted.

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes, yes, yes."

"No, no and no!"

"Fine. Don't buy one."

"I won't." She gave him a smug grin. But her satisfaction didn't last long.

"You won't have to. I'll give you the small one I'd originally bought. I don't use it anymore as I now have a bigger one. It's a shame to let it go to waste."

"Why me?" Sarah lamented. "You're lucky I love you and therefore I'm willing to make you waffles from time to time."

"Care to bet that I'll be making them for you most of the time?"

She laughed and smacked him in the shoulder. "Shut up."

Aside from work, Ellie's wedding preparations and spending time with each other, Chuck and Sarah had one more thing they liked to do: going to the gym. One afternoon, when Ellie was at the hospital working, they decided to go early for a long workout. He was at the weights, while she was busy pounding away at a punching bag.

"Gotta be careful there, sugar," another patron told her. "These bags can be shifty bastards."

"And you should find something better than this lame pickup line," she replied, sending a spin kick into the bag. "Unless, you think you're more… tame than a punching bag."

"Now listen here, lady…"

She stopped. "Would you like to take it to the mats?"

Chuck saw the whole scene and decided to intervene, if only to save the unlucky man from his girlfriend. "Tony, I suggest you decline her invitation. Better yet, forget the whole thing."

"Why should I do that?"

"Allow me to let you in on a little secret. Not long ago, she and I went to Paris on business. We were taking a walk, when a mugger figured we'd be easy marks."

"And?"

"They had to take him to the hospital instead of the local lockup. You see, she insisted on handling the matter personally."

"She kicked some low life's ass. So what? Anyone here could have done it."

"Not just kicked. Believe me, witnessing her go medieval on someone wasn't pretty."

"Chuck," Sarah said sweetly. "If Tony wants a friendly match, I won't back off. And I promise not to hurt him – much."

He relented, seeing he wouldn't be able to prevent it. At least it wouldn't be too ugly. "Fine, you win. But promise me that he'll be able to leave the gym on his feet, not on a gurney. In fact, try not to give him too many bruises."

"I promise." She kissed him on the lips. "His pride will be hurt more than anything," she whispered in his ear.

He sighed in relief. They wouldn't have to call in the lawyers to get Sarah out of an assault and battery charge (the worst case scenario in his mind). With nothing else left to do, he grabbed a bottle of water and joined some other people who were eager to see the fight. If they were expecting a drawn out match, they were extremely disappointed. Sarah's already considerable martial arts skills, boosted by the Intersect, were too much for poor Tony. She had him flat on his back mere seconds into the match.

Chuck stood above him as he lay there stunned. "I warned you, man."

"Damn, she's good," one of the instructors muttered in awe.

"She really is," Chuck smiled.

"How about you, hot shot?"

Sarah sidled up to Chuck. "You don't want to find out," she replied for him. "Trust me." Then her eyes went to the large clock on the wall. "CRAP!"

"Sarah?"

"No time for talking, let's go! We're already late!"

"Late?" He also looked at the clock. "Oh crap!"

Chuck managed to mostly keep to the speed limit on the way to his place. Once there, they hurried to the shower, leaving behind them a trail of discarded clothing going from the Morgan Door to the bathroom. It was Zurich all over again, only instead of trying to wash off food coloring mistaken for poison gas, they were trying to clean up in a hurry and not be late for dinner with Devon, Ellie, Honey, Woody, Stephen and Mary.

"Do my back!" Sarah urged Chuck.

"Okay," he said, trying not to get too entangled with her and fall to the floor.

Next door, Ellie was surveying the table she'd just finished setting. Doing it perfectly was kind of automatic for her, being a veteran in organizing dinner parties. Tonight, everything absolutely had to be perfect. She and Devon had their reason for it.

"Dad just called," Devon told her. "They'll be a few minutes late. Apparently, their rental car had a flat tire. Babe, are you OK?"

"Chuck and Sarah should have arrived by now. I wonder what the holdup is."

"I can go see what's going on next door."

"No, I'll go. I want to stress the importance of punctuality to my idiot brother." She marched to the door, yanked it open and came face to face with her little brother and his girlfriend. "I was just coming to get you."

"It looks like we saved you the trouble, sis."

"Nice new look, by the way," she said as she turned to go back to her kitchen.

"Huh?" Both Chuck and Sarah were confused. They hadn't put on or done anything special.

"Ellie means the wet look you both have tonight."

"Oh, that," Sarah laughed. "We got kind of distracted at the gym."

"And we barely had time to come back, take a quick shower and change."

"It still looks good on you."

-o-

"You couldn't have found a better maid of honor, Ellie," Honey Woodcomb said over dinner. "She's been helping a lot, from what I see."

"I don't know what I would have done without her. We both have very busy schedules, yet she always manages to be there for me every time I need her."

"And Woody and I have made the grave omission of not thanking her enough. Sarah sweetie, I hope you know how much we appreciate everything you're doing for Devon and Ellie's happiness."

"They are family," Sarah stated simply. Chuck gave her hand a gentle loving squeeze. He'd told her that she'd become a part of the family so many times, it had eventually sunk in.

"Have you agreed on where you want the ceremony to take place?" Woody asked.

"We are still considering possible sites. Ellie once confessed that she always wanted a beach wedding and I agree it would be most romantic, perhaps perfect, but getting a permit would take forever."

"Not if we pull some strings," Chuck said in a flash of inspiration. "I have connections."

"He does," Sarah agreed. "And I believe I can help, too."

"All you have to do is choose a beach and leave everything to us, guys," Chuck smiled at Ellie and Devon.

"Thanks, little brother," Ellie beamed. "But for now, it's time for dessert."

"Smells delicious," Woody commented when the aroma reached his nose. "What is it?"

"With the hospital and all I didn't have time to make anything, so I broke into Chuck's place and stole the chocolate soufflé mix Sarah had made."

"It's my Mom's recipe. Chuck has become addicted to it and insists on having it whenever possible. So, I made some and left it in the freezer for him to bake whenever he wished. My Mom also likes to drizzle some syrup on it and she sometimes adds whipped cream when serving it."

"I believe we have a couple of cans of whipped cream in the fridge," Devon said.

"And we definitely have syrup," Ellie added.

-o-

"What a day," Sarah moaned and plopped down on Chuck's bed.

"I second that."

"At least things will be back to normal tomorrow."

"About tomorrow," he said, remembering something. "Morgan and Bryce sent me a memo."

"What was it about?" Sarah asked as she decided to get up and change for bed.

"Something we've been putting off for a while," he replied.

"Movie night?"

"Close, but no cigar. We were thinking about a game night sometime this week."

"I'll make myself scarce."

"No need to. They'll be bringing their girls as well, so you can have a girls' gathering while we play."

"You guys could use some adult supervision."

"We are adults, actually," he said indignantly.

"Not when you're playing video games you ain't," she replied flippantly. All this had an unanticipated, yet not unwelcome effect: It brought out Chuck's inner caveman. He grabbed her and, ignoring her surprised yelp, pulled her to bed with him.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: **This chapter begins a few weeks after the end of the previous one. You might have noticed it's longer than usual. Well, that's because this is the end of the story. I may have crammed too much into it, and probably should have split it into more chapters, but it works for me the way it is. Thank you all for the wholehearted support you gave over the past few months.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 26<strong>

Sarah surveyed the scene, a satisfied smile on her face. The rehearsal dinner was going smoothly. At one table, the Very Awesomes were having a lively conversation with the Bartowskis and the Walkers. Ellie and Devon were dancing together with several other couples. She could see her cousin Alex with Cole, Morgan with Alex Casey and Bryce with Jill. Carina was at the open bar, ordering a fruit cocktail for Molly. She was keeping an eye on the little girl while her parents were dancing. Chuck was also at the bar, chatting with Casey and Kathleen.

"Great shindig you've managed to put together, Sarah," Chuck told her when she joined him.

"I can't take the credit for it. Mom did all the work."

"She'll get the proper recognition for it. In the meantime, can I have this dance, Ms. Walker?"

"But of course, Mr. Bartowski," she replied gamely.

Much later, at his place, she declared that she was going to take a shower. He didn't offer to accompany her, which was weird, but she was too tired to care. When she came out, she found him at his computer.

He looked up and smiled at her puzzled look. "I was checking the weather forecast for tomorrow," he explained. "It's the downside of being the best man at an open air wedding."

"So, what does it say?"

"According to this, it will be sunny, warm and with a light breeze."

"Perfect for Ellie's wedding," she concluded.

"Yes." He turned off the computer. "I'll take a quick shower and we'll go to bed."

"We've got a lot of work to do tomorrow."

"Frankly, I don't envy you. As the maid of honor, it's your job to keep the bride from freaking out."

"Why, will she be getting cold feet? I don't think so."

"Cold feet are very low on the worry list. But everything else will have to be just perfect."

Sarah yawned. "Morgan will be at the beach first thing in the morning to make sure everything will be ready by midday. I'll be with Ellie and the other bridesmaids. She and I also checked the dresses. Everything is in order."

"Looks like we have everything under control. Wait, are the groomsmen's suits in the guest room?"

"No, they are in the living room. The guest room is taken."

"By whom?"

"Vivian is staying here tonight. Since she's a bridesmaid, it will be more convenient for her. I also confirmed the appointment with the hairdresser and the makeup specialist you recommended. How did you know them anyway?"

"You forget I have connections."

"You mean the CIA?"

"No, not this time," he laughed.

"Then what?"

"Hollywood," he replied. "Orion has provided equipment for several high budget films. I called one of the directors we know and he recommended them."

"It pays to have connections in the right places."

"It sure does. By the way, you didn't tell me how the bachelorette party went, the other day."

She grimaced. "I'd rather not go into it."

"You ladies didn't make fools of yourselves, did you?"

"Then maybe I should be asking you about Vegas," Sarah shot back.

"All things considered, everything was pretty tame out there."

"Tame?" Sarah echoed. "Somehow I don't believe it. Not with you, Morgan, Bryce and Devon's brothers and frat bros involved."

"I didn't even wake up with a hangover the next day, which is more than what you can say." It was true. Sarah, Ellie, Carina and the other girls had come home smashed. Not to mention that they had woken up everyone with their drunken, loud and horribly off-key singing while staggering into the courtyard. He'd had to fight to take a bottle of champagne away from Sarah and get her to bed, but not before pumping her full of aspirin, water and antacids, which helped reduce her hangover.

"Shut up and let me get some sleep," she mumbled.

-o-

All the effort and planning that went into the wedding was not for naught. The weather was perfect, a light breeze was blowing and in short everything was ready. The distant cries of seabirds and the gentle hiss of the surf only added to the picture of tranquility.

Stephen was smiling proudly as he escorted a beaming Ellie down the carpet covered aisle between the guests' seats. In the front row, Mary Bartowski and Honey Woodcomb were visibly moved. They were tough women, one being a cutthroat businesswoman/former CIA agent and the other being a surgeon, but they were there for the wedding of their older children.

Chuck was very happy for his sister. She and Devon had always had this great thing together. There were the expected ups and downs in the relationship, but it only grew stronger every time they overcame hitting a pothole. He stole a look at Sarah, who stood with the bridesmaids. Their eyes met. Yep, she was ecstatic to see him and everybody else who'd become family to her in a very short time happy.

"Dearly beloved," the Justice of the Peace began. "We gathered here today to join Devon Christian Woodcomb and Eleanor Faye Bartowski in matrimony."

The ceremony went smoothly. Stephen gave his daughter away, Ellie and Devon exchanged their vows and rings, no one objected to the union and the couple was pronounced man and wife. After the obligatory photo session, it was time for the wedding reception at the Miller. Toasts were being made to the happy couple, the band was playing an excellent selection and the dance floor was full. When the band took a break, Devon stepped up on the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Ellie and I would like to thank you all for coming to this very special day. Right now, it's time to keep up the traditions. Single ladies, please come up. Yes, right there. Ellie, come to the stage."

Ellie gracefully stepped on to the stage holding her bouquet. She searched the cluster of single young women in front of her, seeking out one in particular. Then she turned around and threw the bouquet. It appeared to be heading straight for Carina, who sidestepped at the last instant. Hence the bouquet landed into the hands of a very surprised Sarah Walker. Everyone applauded. She blushed a bit, but then held her prize high and went to exchange hugs with the newlyweds.

Then things got a little more interesting. Devon knelt and removed Ellie's garter, as the eligible gentlemen gathered before the stage. A scuffle broke out when the piece of lace was thrown. Chuck, by virtue of his height and training managed to snag it in mid-air before anyone else had a chance to get close. He'd been stoked and eager to catch it, ever since seeing who had gotten Ellie's bouquet.

He approached Sarah, who had been hoping that he would be the one to catch Ellie's garter after she caught the bouquet, dangling his prize from a finger. He offered her his hand, she took it and he led her to the stage, where she took a seat. Then, he knelt before her and slowly, gently slipped the garter on her leg, not stopping until it was at about mid-thigh. He got up and again held his hand out for her. She followed him to the dance floor, where they joined other couples.

"Look at my little girl with your boy," Emma whispered to Mary.

"They are a lovely couple."

"Mary, I want to know one thing. Are they done with…?"

"It's over," Mary assured her. "Right now, they are just a couple of working stiffs."

Emma laughed. "White collar, high-end job working stiffs," she added.

"Do you think that maybe one day we might be family?"

"We already are, Mary. The thing you're referring to will be just a formality."

"Good to know you feel the same way."

"Oh yeah. Hey, have you seen Jack anywhere?"

Mary looked around. There was no sign of Jack, or of Stephen, for what the matter. "They didn't!"

"We should never leave the two of them together unsupervised."

"No, wait, I see them. They're over at the bar, talking to Casey."

"I wonder what they're talking about."

While both women were watching, Casey reached into a pocket and produced three Silver Coronas, the best cigars from Costa Gravas and offered one each to Stephen and Jack, keeping the last one for himself.

"They're going to play connoisseurs," Mary concluded.

"As long as they don't ditch your daughter's wedding reception to go shoot pool, I'm okay with it."

"I think we should let them hit a bar after it's wrapped up here. What do you think?"

"It wouldn't hurt to cut them some slack, I guess. Would you like to go someplace as well?"

"Do you have anything specific in mind?"

"There's this nice cocktail lounge not far from here. We could go check it out."

"Why not? But I hope we won't be mistaken for a couple of cougars on the prowl."

"Naw, it's kind of an upscale establishment. Maybe we could get Casey's wife to tag along, too."

"And John will go with our guys and keep an eye on them. I like the way you think, Emma."

When the reception ended, the newlyweds departed on their honeymoon, while the others either went home or found a place to continue their evening out. As for Chuck and Sarah, they ended up in his place. She opened the dresser drawer reserved for her stuff and found one her favorite pairs of pajamas in there. He was already changing out of his suit and into sweatpants and a t-shirt.

"Chuck, when the bouquet sailed into my hands, and I'm pretty sure it was a conspiracy between Ellie and Carina, I found myself wanting you to catch the garter."

"When I saw you get the bouquet, there was no way in hell I'd let another man catch the garter, Sarah."

"I love you so much, Chuck."

"I know. And I love you, too."

"Wake me up in the morning, but not too early. As to the question of how you'll wake me up, I'll leave the choice to you."

"Goodnight."

-o-

Chuck decided to emulate Sarah and be a little lazy in the morning. Besides, it was a weekend and he'd finished all the work he'd had to do even before Ellie's wedding. Eventually, he got hungry and decided to rouse Sarah and go make breakfast. So he lightly kissed her lips and continued by trailing kisses down her jaw line and neck. When her eyes fluttered open, he lightly tickled her.

"Chuck, stop," she said and yawned. "I'm awake."

"Let's go take a shower and make something to eat."

"Sounds good to me."

They took a long (really long) shower and returned to the bedroom to get dressed. When they reached the kitchen, Chuck sneezed suddenly.

"Bless you," she said. "Are you catching a cold?"

"I don't think so." *sneeze* "It must be an allergic reaction."

"What are you allergic to?"

"Cats," he replied.

"Maybe a cat sneaked in here." A noise from behind the kitchen counter caught their attention.

"And *sneeze* it's still here."

They went to take a look. It was a feline, all right, but not exactly a felis catus.

"A tiger?" Sarah exclaimed.

"It's a tiger cub," he added. He chuckled as he saw it devouring sausages from a pack it'd ripped open. Apparently, it had somehow managed to open the small fridge next to the main one. "Looks like a female."

"How do you know?"

"Look under the tail. There's no exterior plumbing."

"Oh."

*Big sneeze*

It caused the cub to turn around and notice the two bipeds looking at it.

"Here kitty, kitty," Sarah cooed. It approached her and rubbed against her legs, purring with satisfaction. "That's a good girl."

"I'll take your word for it," he said, pinching his nose closed. "Tigers are endangered species. Someone must be looking for this little lady."

"Well, she has no collar on."

"I'll turn on the news. There's bound to be something about her."

"Check the internet as well."

"I will. You just keep her away from me."

"You know, it's a pity you're allergic to cats. She's quite the cuddly little kitty."

"Got it! They were taking a Siberian Tiger cub named Alisa back to the zoo from the vet's when she somehow got out of the van near the park. I'll call the zoo and let them know."

It was all sorted out not long afterwards. The people from the zoo collected the cub to return her to her mother. Alisa had been bred as part of an effort to save the Siberian Tiger from extinction, according to the project manager, who thanked them effusively. On impulse, Chuck promised that Orion Computers would help by donating equipment to the project. Sarah agreed that his parents would support his decision. He was seconds away from calling them, but decided not to bother them on a Saturday. Instead, he fired off an email, which they could read at their convenience. Afterwards, Sarah sent Chuck to the study and took it upon herself to clean the kitchen, removing any trace of the tiger cub's presence. She didn't want her boyfriend sneezing his head off. She was about done when Carina dropped by.

"Hey Sarah," she called through an open window."

"Good morning sis." She went to open the door. "What brings you here this early?"

"Well, you weren't at your apartment, so I figured this would be where I'd find you. Turns out I was right. And why are you scrubbing the kitchen? Did you try to cook?"

"That's the part you're not going to believe."

"Tell me."

"The short version is that we had a little tiger in here. She'd somehow gotten out of the van transporting her and ended up here."

"A tiger… are you kidding me?"

"No, in fact we liked her, except… Chuck is allergic to cats, so I decided to clean up here." Sarah then opened a laptop and showed Carina pictures of her, Chuck and Alisa.

"She's cute."

"Yes, she is. And we liked each other very much."

"A tigress can always recognize another tigress, Sarah," Chuck said, coming up behind them. "Good morning Carina."

"Good morning. So, my baby sister is a tigress?"

"In more ways than one," he replied with a wink.

"Grrrrr," Sarah growled playfully and clawed at him.

"Since you're both here, I was wondering if you'd like to go out for coffee or something."

"We were about to have breakfast when Alisa turned up in my kitchen and ate my country sausages."

"Fine, I'm taking you out for brunch," Carina said.

Chuck and Sarah looked at each other and nodded. "We'll take you up on that."

Carina was no slouch when it came to finding good places to go to. This time, the three of them ended up in a small bistro not very far from Echo Park. They gave their order to the friendly waitress and, while waiting for their food, Sarah noticed Chuck's pensive look.

"Are you OK Chuck?"

"Yes, I'm fine, why?"

"Something is troubling you. I can tell."

_Now or never_, he thought. "Sarah, would you like to move in with me?"

That took her by surprise. "Come again?"

He looked at her straight in the eyes. "I love you and you love me. We spend most of our time together. Living under the same roof is a natural progression."

"Yes, I love you very much, but this was quite the surprise."

"Come on, sis," Carina butted in, siding with Chuck. "I know you want it. There's no downside to it, either."

"I can think of one," Sarah said casually.

"What?" Chuck was a little worried.

"If I move in with Chuck, then how am I going to be able to steal your cosmetics every time I need them?"

Chuck and Carina exchanged funny looks and laughed. "Now I know why some things were not as I'd left them on my dresser sometimes," Carina said.

"I have a solution," Chuck added. "You can always borrow Ellie's stuff."

"Somehow, I don't think she'll appreciate it."

"She won't have a problem with it."

"Then yes, I'll move in with you. There is nothing I wouldn't do for you, in fact. Even though borrowing Carina's stuff is definitely more fun."

"To be frank, I was hoping you'd say yes. For the past few weeks, I've been trying to gather the nerve to ask you. But I did have this made." He produced a small box and handed it to her.

It was another surprise for Sarah. But then again, the box was too big for a ring. She opened it and found a set of keys inside. "You got me keys to your place?"

"From now on it's going to be our place."

"Ellie is going to get the surprise of her life when she and Devon return from their honeymoon and find me living with you."

"We'll need earplugs."

She swatted him playfully. "Don't be mean to your sister."

"I'm not being mean. I'm simply stating a fact."

She drank some of her mimosa and looked at him pensively. "Your statement does contain a fair amount of exaggeration, but I get the gist."

"So, when is Sarah going to move in with you, Chucky?"

"We didn't get around to that."

"She can move in this weekend. Think about it. It's perfect. I can borrow a truck or a van from Orion and get your stuff in one go."

"Shouldn't we do some preparation work first?"

"Sarah's right, Chuckles. You'll need to make room for her stuff in your closet, the medicine cabinet in the bathroom…"

"And don't forget the kitchen," Sarah added.

"You girls got me thinking. We can move your stuff to my – our now – place, and then worry about where to put it, as we can just leave everything in the guest room temporarily."

"Then let's get busy!" Sarah said enthusiastically.

Chuck insisted on paying for brunch, even though it had been Carina's idea. After all, he had to be the perfect gentleman no matter what. They were leaving the restaurant and heading for his car when…

"Sarah? Sarah Walker?"

Sarah whirled around at the sound of a familiar voice. She saw the blond woman who'd called out to her and her eyes widened in surprise. "Zondra?"

"It's me, all right. Dammit, girlfriend, it's been years since I last saw you. Oh, hi Carina."

"Hi Zondra."

"Chuck, I'd like you to meet my roommate at Harvard, Zondra Rizzo. Zondra, this is my boyfriend Chuck Bartowski."

"Hi," Chuck said.

"Hi."

"Sarah, Zondra and Amy, their other roommate, were quite the party animals back then. In fact, they were known as the CAT Squad. Also, I was an honorary member."

"Meow," Sarah whispered in his ear.

"Atchoo!" He pretended to sneeze and then winked meaningfully at his girlfriend.

"Chuck's allergic to cats," Sarah explained to Zondra, laughing. "So, what are you doing these days?"

"I've been running Dad's business ever since he decided to retire."

"Good for you, I guess. Have you kept in touch with Amy?"

"Sure I have. She's working for a magazine as a fashion columnist. I hear she's close to getting her own TV show, too."

"Zondra studied business administration and Amy was into journalism," Sarah informed Chuck.

"Well, I've got to run. By the way, what are you doing, Sarah?"

Chuck replied before Sarah could. "She's the next head of Orion Computers' Marketing, PR and Advertising Division."

"WHAT?"

"Oh, I totally forgot to tell you. Watkins retires in a couple of months, Simpson put in a request for a transfer to another section and Carpenter is in line for promotion to Central Accounting, which leaves you as the most suitable candidate for Watkins' position."

"Wow. I mean, I've been with the firm for less than six months."

"Think about the millions we made thanks to you."

The other two girls enthusiastically congratulated Sarah. He also congratulated her – with a toe-curling kiss.

-o-

As expected, Ellie's reaction to Sarah cohabitating with Chuck had been very enthusiastic indeed. As a matter of fact, both the Bartowski and Walker families approved of the move. All in all, things were going very well, for everyone. Just like Chuck had said, Sarah got to be appointed head of her division in Orion Computers.

Some months later, Chuck and Sarah were at home, unpacking from a trip to a computer and video games convention. His latest game had been a smash hit and, much to her surprise, Sarah had drawn quite a lot of attention, as many had easily recognized her as one of the leading characters. She'd even had to give a couple of interviews to people from gaming magazines and sites.

"There you are," Ellie said, barging into the apartment.

"Wow, sis, take it easy. We were gone only a few days."

"I missed you just the same. Come over for dinner in a couple of hours. Mom and Dad will also be coming."

"Sure, no problem," Sarah assured her. After Ellie left, she turned to face Chuck. "The Empress has spoken. But, seeing as we have a couple of hours, I see no reason why we couldn't take a shower."

"I see your shower and I'll raise you a bubble bath."

"All in," she smiled as he pulled her into his arms.

-o-

"Would you like some wine, babe?" Devon asked his wife.

"No thanks. I'm a little tired and wine wouldn't help. I'm willing to settle for some soda."

"Everything is delicious, Ellie," Sarah said enthusiastically. "Like always."

"I got the recipe from your Mom. She said it's a long time hit at the restaurant."

Time flew by and before long it was time for dessert and coffee. Stephen, Devon and Chuck were deep in a discussion about the merits and potential disadvantages of turning a car into a virtual spaceship with high end electronics, including a head-up display projected on the windshield, full color multifunction display screens on the dash in place of traditional instrumentation and the car equivalent of aircraft hands on throttle and stick controls.

"Boys," Mary shook her head.

"Give them high tech gadgets to play with and they turn into little kids," Sarah agreed. "Anyway, I've pretty much gotten used to it. I do happen to be living with Nerdus Professionalis Maximus."

"What was that again?" Ellie was almost out of breath with laughter.

"It's just a pseudo-Latin term I invented to describe Chuck."

"It fits," Mary said.

"I agree," Ellie added. She waited until things had calmed down. "Everyone, I have an announcement to make. "Devon, there is a good reason I refused the wine earlier. In fact, I'll stay away from alcohol for the next few months."

"Babe…"

"Yes, I'm pregnant."

"Sis, this is amazing! Congratulations!"

"I'm gonna be a Gramps!" Stephen exclaimed.

"Ellie, honey, this is great news!" Mary was visibly moved and excited.

"Any time you need something, just tell me," Sarah said, hugging Ellie.

-o-

Some time after Clara Woodcomb was born…

"She's so small," Molly said as she looked at baby Clara in her bassinet. Ellie had been called by the hospital for a quick consultation and she was currently using Chuck's top of the line videoconference setup.

"I remember when you were born. You were just as small, Molly," Sarah said.

"Do you want to have kids someday, Auntie Sarah?"

Sarah looked longingly at her engagement ring. Chuck had proposed at the hospital just after Clara's birth. "If I were to have kids, then that would make you their aunt."

"Cool!"

"You think it's cool?"

"Yes! All the other kids at school talk about their brothers, sisters or cousins. No one is an aunt or an uncle."

"What are you ladies talking about?" Chuck asked, entering the apartment loaded with groceries.

"Molly was just telling me how small Clara looks."

"She may be small, but she's quite a handful."

"Where is Morgan?" Molly piped up.

"You want to play video games with him again."

"Uh-huh. He's very funny."

"Right now he's with Casey and Kathleen helping them install new kitchen cupboards."

"But he will be here."

"He's as eager to play with you as you are."

Clara chose that moment to get fussy, so Sarah scrambled to give her a bottle. Soon afterwards, the baby calmed down and was asleep again.

-o-

The wedding had been way better than anything Sarah had ever dreamed of. Her Dad, smiling as he gave her away to Chuck, her mother and sister trying to hold back tears of joy together with his mother and sister, the exchange of vows of everlasting love… in a word it was all perfect. After an all too brief (to them at least) honeymoon, they'd returned to Burbank and got back into the daily grind at Orion, spiced up by frequently having to baby-sit Clara and/or Molly.

Inside her office, Sarah signed off on a shipping order with a flourish, had it sent and then decided to relax. She kicked off her heels, tilted her chair back and rested her feet on the edge of her desk. Her mind wandered to the last business trip abroad she had taken with Chuck, just the previous month. She'd loved seeing Paris again, especially with no one shooting at them, but the highlight had definitely been the trip to Zurich on an antique train. Three fun-filled days in a luxuriously furnished compartment… what girl wouldn't love it?

Right now she had another problem. Even though she'd had a late and very filling breakfast, she was hungry again. The energy bars she kept in the bottom desk drawer proved insufficient.

"What the hell is wrong with me," she wondered. The issue was too pressing to ignore. She put her shoes back on and stormed out of the office. "I'll be right back," she informed one of her subordinates. Making tracks for the cafeteria, she ordered an extra special club sandwich with cheese sauce on the fries and sat down to devour it, washing it down with a black cherry vanilla coke.

Naturally, the people working at the cafeteria shot her a few curious looks when she returned less than two hours later for lunch with Chuck and his parents. This time she got a double veggie cheeseburger and a cherry coke. For some reason she had this weird desire to have the taste of cherries in her mouth all day long. Fortunately, she managed to get everything under control.

Back home, she and Mary were looking after Clara while Ellie was at work. And before Sarah realized it, she was crying while holding a smiling baby girl.

"Sarah, are you all right, dear?"

"Yes," she sniffled. "I'm fine."

"What happened?"

"I remembered Molly telling me how much she'd like to be an aunt. It was funny and so sweet."

"Oh boy," Mary exclaimed, using one of her husband's catch phrases.

"What?"

"I think Molly's wish is going to come true."

Sarah paled. Suddenly, everything made sense. The morning drowsiness, the hunger, the aching feet… She was also a week and a half late, as she realized. "Mary… you could be right. And I'm freaking out here. I mean, I should have realized it earlier…"

"Honey, it's all going to be fine. But tell Chuck. Don't forget that."

"I'll have to confirm it first. Can you stay with Clara while I go to the drugstore?"

"Go. Don't worry about Clara. She and I are going to have a blast while you're gone."

"We'll need ice cream, too. I'll get some on the way back. See you in five."

Sarah got just about every kind of pregnancy test the pharmacy had and she disappeared into the bathroom to take them the moment she arrived home. She left them on the counter by the sink and rejoined Mary and Clara.

"Relax, Darling. I know Chuck will freak out at first, but then he'll be so enthusiastic you'll have to get a restraining order on him to keep him from crowding you too much."

"Huh?"

"I'm just kidding."

"Oh."

A few minutes later, Mary was still watching Sarah play with Ellie's daughter. "Shouldn't you go check the results?"

"Frankly, I'm scared shitless."

"Come on, we'll do it together."

"Thanks."

Every single one read positive. "You are pregnant."

"I am. And I still can't believe it."

"Hello! Ladies, I'm back!" Chuck yelled from the door.

"Let's go face the music," Sarah said with a tight smile and led the way to the living room.

"Sarah, are you all right? You look… off."

Ooops. It was the wrong thing to say. "It's your fault," she snarled.

"Um, if someone could explain…"

"I'm PREGNANT!" She perversely enjoyed seeing him go white as a sheet. And then he fell backwards on to the couch. "CHUCK!"

It was all Mary could do not to laugh. "He just entered the freak out phase."

Sarah was in no mood for games, so she unceremoniously splashed the contents of a glass of water on her husband's face.

"I had this weird dream…"

"It was not a dream, Chuck. You really knocked me up. Just don't pass out on me again, OK?"

"Sure, anything you say. You're really pregnant?"

"I've been feeling off for a few days now. Today, I had weird food cravings as well, I am late and, to top it off, I have a bunch of pregnancy tests all showing positive. So yes, odds are I'm really pregnant."

"That's the best news I've gotten in a while!" He jumped up and hugged his wife.

"I'll make an appointment with my doctor in the morning."

"Can I come, too?"

"Yes. Just keep your act together."

"For you, I will. I love you."

-o-

"Twins?"

"Chuck, you've been asking the same question for the last half hour. The answer is not going to change. We are expecting twins." She huffed.

"What?"

"It's just… for the next few months you'll still be you, while I will become an oversized balloon, a Goodyear blimp and a lead fucking Zeppelin, in that order."

"You'll always be beautiful."

"Of course you'd think about my boobs," she snapped.

"I was talking about the whole package. Do you remember how Ellie seemed to be glowing all the time while she was pregnant on Clara?"

"Sorry. This pregnancy thing is making me irrational."

"It's just hormones. Besides, you'll have me to cater to your every whim."

"Hmm… I'm beginning to like the whole deal – a little."

"You'll like it a lot more before it's over." The drive home passed in silence, but as he pulled into his parking space Chuck had an epiphany. "We're gonna need a bigger place."

"I agree. Our apartment is nice, but barely enough for one kid, let alone two."

"We'll just have to find a new place, then."

"I'd like one with a white picket fence and a red door. I always drew houses like that when I was a kid."

"Like the one across the street from our place? It's exactly as you described it and it's for sale. If all goes well, we'll buy it and give our current place to Morgan and Alex."

"Then what are you waiting for? Make an appointment with the realtor!"

They both loved it. Sarah even went so far as to carve their names on a door frame, staking their claim. Luckily, they had enough money saved to buy it outright, splitting the cost fifty-fifty. And by the time an exhausted Sarah, hoarse from screaming in pain and making threats on Chuck's life and limb, was in recovery at the maternity ward of the hospital, with a miniature copy of Chuck and another of herself in her arms, he had turned it into their dream house, from bedroom to Nerd Cave.

**THE END**


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